If I may, as God is my Witness and Judge, when I was only 17 years young, God UNEXPECTEDLY gave me a VISION while I was in prayer. I was within that vision as a glorified Spirit-Being, whiter than glistening snow and like a brilliant white cloud with the sun shining on it, appearing smooth, dressed in a white robe – even my hair was that brilliant white – holding a Book in my hands and teaching two flesh and blood mortals who were sitting on the ground, in an outdoor setting like a park or meadow.

I was leaning over near them, showing them something from the Book. Mind you that this MIRACLE occurred before I had ever heard of Herbert W. Armstrong and his biblical teaching that we’re to become glorified Priest-Kings, teaching in the Kingdom of God, immortals ruling over mortals with but under Christ! (Revelation 2:26, 3:21, 20:6).

The Kingdom of God is the Royal Family of God administering the Government of God, with God’s Word as the foundation for every family and standard for all nations (Isaiah 9:7, Daniel 7:18, 27).

At that time I still believed in the traditional born again and Heaven and Hell myths, so I didn’t really know what to think of the vision. Over a year later, when I attended one of my first Sabbath services with the Worldwide Church of God (1978), the minister was preaching about how we’ll be God-Beings teaching human-beings. I about fell out of my chair! It was as if he was describing the very vision God had given little ol’ me!

That inspiring sermon was further confirmation to me that this Church of God (with its God-given Sabbath and holy days, special recognition of Northwestern Europeans and Anglo-Saxons as the “Lost 10 Tribes,” the Gospel of the Kingdom, etc.) was indeed God’s Church and not like the baptized paganism of traditional Churchianity! (It’s sad to say the WCG went astray after Herbert Armstrong’s death, but thankfully the faithful Church of God members left that organization of deceitful men to remain true to God and the plain truth of the Bible rather than return to Egypt).

My following minister, George Kackos, whom I later told about the vision, and who baptized me on the Sabbath day, June 9, 1979 (12 years after Jerusalem’s liberation), told me that the vision was biblical and that God has also given a “sneak preview” of His Kingdom to Peter, James and John, with their VISION of the TRANSFIGURATION:

Matthew 17:1-9

1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” 6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. 7 But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” 8 When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

9 Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the VISION to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”

I dared to declare to Mr. Kackos that my vision was actually greater because God had showed them a glorified/transfigured Christ, Moses and Elijah, but mine was more personalized because God revealed ME in His Kingdom!

I am an eyewitness to the Kingdom of God and know what it means to be in the Kingdom of God, both from the Bible and personal experience! (2 Peter 1:16-18). Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom, but at the Resurrection we’ll be BORN AGAIN as GLORIFIED SPIRIT BEINGS – just like our older Brother, Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29, I Corinthians 15:49-52, Philippians 3:21)

The vision appeared to emphasize the big difference between mortals and immortals; the great contrast between flesh and blood and brilliant Spirit. And, as I later used during a Worldwide Church of God Spokesman’s Club speech on serving in the Churchill Room at the Hillcrest in Toledo, Ohio, I mentioned this vision and noted that even though we’re to be given THRONES (which I did not see), those thrones are to enable us to use our positions for GREATER SERVICE, out of love for God and mankind.

God did not show me merely sitting on a throne, but out serving others, teaching, helping, explaining. Mr. Kackos then gave his usual round up speech/mini-sermon, on the importance of tempering authority with humility, and said that, amazingly, I had done just that. I had related the vision as a fact, but wasn’t boasting about it.

I look forward, by God’s grace, to entering His wonderful Kingdom and meeting those two people I saw in 1977! It’ll truly be BACK TO THE FUTURE!

Prayer brings momentum. It lifts the heart above the challenges of life and gives it a view of God’s resources of victory and hope. Prayer provides power, poise, peace and purpose for a person’s plans and pursuits. The most powerful energy anyone can generate is prayer energy. “The devil smiles when we make plans. He laughs when we get too busy. But he trembles when we pray” (Corrie Ten Boom).

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs and don’t forget to thank Him for his answers. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand” (Phil. 4:6-7, LB). Whatever is worth worrying about is certainly worth praying about. God is never more than a prayer away from you. When you feel swept off your feet, get back to your knees. “If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me” (Robert Murry Cheyne). Heaven is ready to receive you when you pray.

When we pray, we link ourselves with God’s inexhaustible power and insight. Remember that prayers can’t be answered until they are prayed. “Whatsoever things you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them and ye shall receive them” (Mark 11:24). “A day hemmed in prayer is less likely to unravel” (anonymous). When we pray, we must simultaneously position ourselves to be willing to take the action that God requires as answers to our prayer. The prayers a person lives on his feet are no less important than those he says on his knees.

The strongest action that you can take in any situation is to go to your knees and ask God for help. The highest purpose of faith or prayer is not to change my circumstances but to change me. Pray to do the will of God in every situation. Nothing else is worth praying for. “Do not have your concert and tune your instruments afterwards. Begin the day with God” (James Hudson Taylor).

Prayer may not change all things for you, but it sure changes you for all things. Prayer is the stop that keeps you going. If God is your father, please call home.

Attracting a God-fearing man as a life partner in this day and age is not a child’s play.

Amarachi is my niece. She has lived 25 years here on Earth without a partner. She had insisted that any man she would allow into her life must be a Godly man.

Amarachi was born into a christian family. Her parents are devoted christians. If their devotion were anything to go by, they are already saints here on Earth. And they go out of their way to bring up all their children in the way of the Lord. Amarachi happens to be their first child. And they employed all their energies – spiritual and physical – to ensure Amarachi becomes another Mother Mary here on Earth.

However, she had gone through the kindergarten, the elementary school, the tertiary institution, graduated as a chemical engineer and now, gainfully employed.

She is mature in every sense and now independent.

But there comes a time in a woman’s life when she really needs a man in her life. For Amarachi, that time has come.

She has, however, been attracting men but the challenge was that she had been picky. She wants a genuine man of God. This has left her in a world of loneliness.

She has been with feelings of lack of self-worth and low self-esteem. At a point in her life, she started grappling with self-confidence issues. She felt like she is not lovable. Or is there anything wrong with me?, she would muse. She got confused. She got frustrated. She felt abandoned.

The truth is: this kind of situation is better experienced than described. I had myself in this valley years back. And from my experience and research on the experiences of others, attracting a christian man into your life is possible but you need the following strategies.

 Good Character

For you to attract a man of your dreams and a good christian for that matter, your character has to be above board. You must be a woman of good character. Are you always considerate? Do you tell the truth no matter what? Do you go out of your way to help others? Are you charitable? Does your life inspire or encourage whoever you come in contact with? Are you kind?

 Service

Are you always ready to serve? In order to attract quality God-fearing men into your life, you need to be open to serve God and man. If you want to be a leader; if you want to be spotted out; it is in serving. In your family, serve. In your place of work, serve. And even in your local church, serve. The Scripture says that if you want to be the greatest, you would need to be a servant.

 Self-Control

As a mature human being, there could be a time your emotions will, kind of try to, dictate to you your next steps towards the opposite sex. Not only that, there could be a time you could be so upset over a wrong-doing from somebody you respect so much. What will you do? Just take any action not minding the consequences? No! This is where self-restraint comes in. This is where self-control becomes important. You never can tell if you’re just being tested?!

 Openness

Are you always your authentic self? Being open and vulnerable attract men as the flower attracts bees. You can discuss anything and everything with the aim of reaching an amicable compromise, and engendering peace at all times. Say it as it is albeit in a very friendly manner.

 Forgiving

To err is human but to forgive is divine, they say. We offend one another most of the time. But what makes the world go around is the ability that we all have to forgive each other. But what I have discovered over time is that there are some people who find it so hard to forgive. On the other hand, your willingness and ability to forgive others can actually get you attracted to the man of your dreams.

Some persons claim that it’s actually easier for the camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a lady to attract a Godly man as a life partner. But the above proven strategies have nullified such a claim.

The question of good and evil is intimately linked with God’s and man’s nature, as is to be suspected. We have seen that God is a spirit who has a spiritual soul, mind, and body.

Man also is a spirit, soul, mind and body, but the body is material. From these come four aspects.

The mystic says, “God is good because He truly loves us. Only His love is far higher than ours.” However this kind of emotionalism is bound to run dry. We cannot be high on God all the time as if He were dope. Our spirits must lift us up regularly and our mind must give us reason. If we try to live on emotions only then we will soon find out that we lose heart. For what will we say if sorrow upon sorrow hits us. That God has lost His love? To escape from such an impasse one might embrace fideism (spiritual faith only). However fideism by itself is a dry, emotionless, impractical, though suprarational attitude towards God. To withdraw into an ivory tower of adamant faith is escapism. Our bodies, minds and emotional souls must participate in the flights of the spirit. If we do not see a practical purpose, or rational explanation, we must still believe though that God does. Paul says that, “… all things combine to work for the good of those that love God ( Rom.8:28)… ” This is divine purpose in the practice of our daily lives. To say in a fideistic manner that God simply is good, no matter what He allows or does, is bound to let our heads bang into a wall of concrete reality.

On the other side of the balance there is the rational attitude that God is good because He has a rational reason for everything. However if we bank on rationalism too much then we will soon run out of reasons to believe in God’s goodness. Our minds cannot grasp everything, not by far. If we demand complete rational understanding, we are really trying to reduce God’s mind to ours. To escape the tension of rationalism one might embrace some kind of pragmatism. “God is good because everything serves a practical (material) purpose. Now pragmatism is very practical, but to try to find it in every event is also an impossibility. If you make yourself too dependent on material practicality, then you are really trying to make God the slave of your pleasures. However the Bible says, “As heaven is higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts ( Is. 55.9) “

Therefore we must combine material practicality, reason, emotion and spiritual strength in order to lay a good foundation for our faith. All four together can help us to cling to God. If we rely on reason only we will end up concluding with the deists that God just is not able to help us any better, or that He simply does not care about us. For if He were almighty He would not allow anything to go wrong. However we have already judged that such a God is a mad genius. If He is almighty but does not care about us, that makes even less sense. For what kind of a God is it that first creates us only to subsequently abandon us? Both forms of deism really imply that God is guilty, one way or another. But it is clear that if we are at the mercy of a psychopathic God that there is no hope for us at all. We had better become atheists then. However then we land in the following vicious vortex. For if there is no God, then the world was made by chance. But chance will destroy us in the end again. Atheism offers even less hope. Whereas deism is a break away from the truth, atheism is a double break. Whereas the deist more or less still believes that good and evil are absolute things, the atheist considers them relative. Good is simply that which serve practical purposes.

In nihilism there is even no difference between good and evil. And in some forms of existentialism good and evil are ignored or declared non-existent. Many atheists reason that evil does not exist in us, but it is the system that is rotten. However if we are so good, why then did we create a rotten system? If we are innocent than our forefathers are evil who made the system. But if they were evil, why aren’t we? Clearly this is a contradiction in terms.

On the intrinsic side of the scales a similar glide into despair takes place. If we overaccentuate the mysterious and emotional side of God’s love, we are likely to wind up saying with pantheists that there is some kind of hidden, mysterious link between good and evil. For clearly if the world emanated out of God, rather then was created by Him, then we have inherited the problem of evil from Him. God and evil ultimately must form a secret ununderstandable harmony in Him. Somehow evil must be necessary, and somehow God knows how it all adds up. However if this is true then it must be argued that God is schizophrenic. There is no hope in an equivocal and labile madman. We cannot expect any kind of stability from a dualistic God. This kind of pantheism is emotional escapism, childish naivete. God cannot be partially evil, for good and evil are absolute things, infinitely more unreconcilable than fire and water. To escape from this tension one might embrace the following kind of spiritism. There have been polytheists that have claimed that good and evil are just human concepts, and ignorant at that. Good and evil are chimerical appearances, illusions really, caused by the mirror play of empty phenomena. God or the gods are neutral, they are altogether beyond good and evil. But if this is really true then it just does not make any difference whether somebody kills his wife, or honors her. Here we can see that philosophy is truly ancilla theologiae, the handmade of theology. Logic, a philosophical discipline, clearly shows us that if a=1 then a≠2. If God is good than He cannot be evil. If I am falling from a roof, I cannot at the same time be going upwards. Without clear thinking we cannot distinguish between God and Satan, good and evil. Eastern religions that believe in the emptying of the mind, have very poor logical thinking indeed.

For your information we will discuss in short. Manichaeism and Zoroastrianism. Followers of these religions believed in a dualism of matter and spirit, equated with evil and good respectively. For them good and evil exist from all eternity. One day the good God will vanquish the evil one. But if these two uncreated gods have co-existed already an eternity past then what hope do we have that the good one will win out in the future (eternity)? Clearly the good one must be the stronger for there is more good in nature than evil, for else they would cancel each other out. But if the good god is so mighty than why hasn’t he overcome yet? What guarantee do we have that he will overcome? And even if he turns out the conqueror, then evil can crop up again any time. For how could one eternal god destroy another one completely? Or how could he hold him in prison for ever? Also if they are already enemies for an eternity the good one will never be able to convert the baddie into a goodie. It is evident that these religions hold out little hope for us if any.

Another view is the following. There are certain theologians that claim that God and Satan are two figures of the same reality. God “plays the devil” only in order to test us to see whether we really will adhere to the good. This kind of dualism is a mix-up of pantheism and monotheism, whether these divines proclaim themselves as monotheists or not. Is it justice for God to send a family into the gaz chambers of Auschwitz just to see whether they will cleave to Him? What kind of a mephitic actor is this? What kind of a God is it that does not shrink from posing as Mephistopheles to a degree that shatters all moral equilibrium?

But the bible declares soberly, ” Let nobody that is being tempted say, “I am tempted by God?” for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself tempts no one. But everybody is tempted being lured out and baited by his own desire. Then desire, having conceived, brings forth sin, and sin having been completed fully, produces death (James 1.13-15).”

Further there is the gnostic view that finiteness implies sinfulness. God gave us finite bodies to teach our eternal spirits how good it is to be fully one with Him. Clearly this kind of theory makes God the author of sin. We are hardly, if at all, responsible for our actions in this case.

Let us now see how God’s all-goodness and all-powerfulness must be kept in balance. Also all His other qualities play a role here. For if God is not infinite in all of them (omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent and so on) then He is unable to oversee and control all the consequences of His acts. That means that something could go wrong, yes, even is bound to go wrong. That would make Him responsible for the ensuing evils. God’s goodness and allness go together, for if He is limited He is not able to be all-good. In that case He must commit unresponsible acts. And if He is not all-good, then he will produce omnipotent evil. Clearly the bungling god of deism is a travesty, and the halfhearted god of pantheism is psychotic. The big bang god of atheistic materialism, and the neutral god(s) of occultistic polytheism are not at all good and powerful. The one is nothing but a supreme material law, the other nothing but the “non-existent”state of Nirwana.

Whereas deism holds to God’s goodness and pantheism claims that in God good and evil are a mysterious ensemble, both are identical in that they connive at evil. One simply cannot be perfect, therefore we must “just” make the best of it. Christ however said, “Be perfect as your Father is perfect Who is in heaven (Mt. 5.48).” Also we are clearly not fully responsible under these two corrupted set-ups. In atheistic existentialism and nihilism and polytheistic occultism, things are worse. They are identical in their indifference towards good and evil. The former says they are totally relative or even non-existent, the latter that they are but the illusive intimidations of “maya”, the illusion of the material world, consisting of fleeting, temporal images. Both converge into the same pandemonium.

The hidden motivation behind all these foul- ups is the desire to replace the real God with an idol, and to put the blame directly, or indirectly, upon Him; when we cannot enjoy our own god as well as we would like. As said in the beginning, the rationalist idolizes reason, the materialist pleasure, the mystic emotion an the occultist the power of his spirit. All these idolaters implicate God in, if not equal Him, with the problem of evil. However everybody, in his heart, is aware that good is good and bad is bad. Good is not just better than bad. Even satanists distinguish between good and evil, only they try to reverse them. God does not will sin. He only wills the possibility of sin. He has to do this apparently or else we would be pushbutton do-gooders. We would be robots, rather than responsible, self-motivated beings. The sin of idolatry is that we ourselves try to play God. But our tiny weeny ways only make us ridiculous. We only confirm God in them, but in a negative way. Therefore we must honor God in a positive way, hail Him as our Creator and pray for His help.

“But,” somebody will say, “if God is good, why then are we inclined to commit evil?” Apparently He did not create us well. ” However that leads us again to either a mad genius that has botched us up, or to a treacherous two-faced hypocrite, or worse. Therefore there is only one solution to the problem of evil. We must face the fact that we, humans, are fully responsible. For if God is to blame, then there clearly can be no hope at all. This universe will end in total disaster, or at best remain riddled with rottenness. If God is not perfectly good, then certainly I do not have to be. Or do you think that you can outdo your Maker?

It has been argued that a governor, who has it in his power to stop a conspiracy, has the responsibility to do this. Therefore an omnipotent God is accountable, just like a human. Since He does not, then He cannot be good in our sense of the word. But this is nothing but defiance. If God is not good in our language, then He isn’t good in any. God is love! But when you preach this there are always people that start objecting. “Why are there wars, murders, famines, earthquakes, psychotic diseases!? If God is so loving and sympathetic, why does He allow so much sorrow?” There is only one viable conclusion. We have all brought it down upon ourselves. Wars, dirty politics, and other crimes are clearly perpetrated by homo sapiens. If you try to excuse the criminals, and we are all that in major or minor ways, with psychological reasons to the effect of us having been made the way we are, and so on, where then do you end up? Back in the garden of Eden, where our first parents chose Satan as their “liberator”. Ever since He is the god of this world. What other conclusion is there? Do you want the god of deism, pantheism, or dualism? For sure I want the God of the Bible. He is stable, cannot change into evil, for He is immutable. He is omnipotent, and so on. That is the God that can come to our aid.

“But why hasn’t He helped us, and solved all our problems yet? The world bathes in blood already for millennia! “. Let me tell you why. Because we keep ignoring him, that’s why. God does not want to be taken for granted. If the entire world would go on its knees, and beseech God en masse for mercy upon our stubborn sins, then, I tell you, he would send the heavens immediately and poor out blessings!

It was Dostojewsky’s problem that innocent children had to suffer. He could not see God’s righteousness in that. And of course nobody can. God is not righteous because little girls are raped, but because He will punish the men that do it. And He will wipe the tears away, one day, off of all those that have come to Him for comfort. God allows evil to push our nose into the excrements that we leave behind us everywhere. But we seem to be puppies that just refuse to become housebroken. Hegel, the well known philosopher, said that “History teaches us that man does not learn from history.” “But why does God allow all kinds of evil?” My answer is that God cannot allow any kind of evil. But He suffers us for a time. Where would God have to draw the line anyway? At theft and murder? Or already at the thought of theft and murder? But the wish is the father of the act. We must clean house in our own hearts. that is where all the trouble starts. But rest in peace, God will not allow this world to go on for ever in its God ignoring, defying and self-congratulating sideshows. For now God has given the earth to us. If we want to turn it into a hell, that is our business. But He will not suffer our games forever!

One more thing to conclude the subject of good and evil. The bible states the following: ‘Forming light and creating darkness, making peace and creating evil; I the Lord do all these things.’ Before I enter upon this most difficult subject I want to affirm that God in Christ Jesus is light and life and love and the way (the only way) and the truth. Christ is the morning star that appears when all other stars fade. Therefore He is the only superstar and nobody can come to God the Father but through Him. Why then does it say here that God creates (actually IS in the process of creating [the participle is used]) evil, as if He might be the author of sin? Horrible thought. But it does not say that, most blissfully. It implies that He is the author and source of evil, but not the author of sin. We humans and angels turn evil into sin and so miss the intended goal of our existence. How great than is God’s grace and Christ’s Love, that Christ was made SIN for us, as if He were the cause of our sin, yes of our sinful nature, of our original sin!! Thus we will be free for ever…

Solomon stated that God decided to dwell in darkness, but it also says that the darkness is light to God. And so, even in the worst evil, God sees something of His own light. This seems to imply that humans and angels are incapable of perverting themselves to such a degree as to drain out anything good (however as far as the old nature, the old Adam, is concerned, we are 100% corrupted). Remember that it says ‘the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.’ It does not say that it is the tree only of evil. However the point is that Adam and Eve wanted to decide and determine themselves what is good and what is evil, thus making themselves independent of God. What makes it complicated is that the word for ‘evil’ is also used for what is sinful, as well as for calamity–as in the case of Job. But notice that He is creating evil, not making or doing! The knowledge of evil is infused by the conscience, and thus looking at it with the mind, I am aware of the consequence, viz. of sin. Adam and Eve, before the Fall, were innocent; they did what is good naturally and were free of sin. After the Fall we have landed in a grey and muddy pit, out of which God wants to raise us through the efficacy of the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah! Let it be very clear however that God does not tempt anyone, let alone seduce. We are in the first place tempted by our own desire.

Having said this I go out of my way to expressly state that I am not advocating some kind of pantheistic notion of good and evil as being two sides of the same coin, as if the divinity is at odds with itself and contradicting itself. It cannot be said strongly enough that the godhead is absolutely indivisible. ‘Hear Israel, I am ONE.’ Even though one might sum up in eternity an infinite array of characteristics of the godhead, at the same time it must be affirmed that the divinity is absolute simplicity. Nor do I propagate the notion of evil being the absence of good (privatio boni), according to scholasticism. Sin, in the end, is the absolute godhating rebellion against anything good in the Lord Jesus Christ. And the bible shows that this is the end of human history as far as sin is concerned.

In Hebrews 1.1 it says that God has finally spoken through the person of His Son the Lord Jesus, who is the effulgence of His glory and the express image of His substance. Both in the O.T. and the N.T. there was a progressive revelation taking place. This seems to coincide with God’s ‘forming light and creating darkness, making peace and creating evil.’ Catholic theologians will scoff at me for believing that matter, yes the entire planet earth, and, yes, even the heavens became tainted by the respective falls of the devil and of Adam. But why does Peter state, then, that all the elements will burn up melting and that the earth and all its (evil) works will be found out? Why, actually, will God create a new heaven and earth, if the old one is not so damaged and tainted that it will be rolled up like a mantle? That gnostic sects with their so-called knowledge or science, against which the apostle Paul warns, like the one of the Manichees, turn this truth into something desperately foolish and even sinful (as the bible itself states that there were those that perverted the scriptures), that does NOT mean that sin and evil are limited to the will. Also our intellect and even our very bodies are subject to a broken and rebellious world. (But glory be to God that Christ has triumphed over Satan and sin and even death [in principle, as it is the last enemy to be made subject to Christ]).

Satan, as the highest angel, as the covering cherub, was the ultimate show piece of God’s creation, according to the relevant scriptures in Ezechiel 28 and Isaiah 14. God even spurs the writer to say that one must take up a dirge for him! After all he was God’s most original creation… Further, by the way, the bible states clearly that the lake of fire (the second death as the ultimate hell) was made for the devil and his angels (those that followed him in his rebellion). Thus, eternal hell was made after Satan’s fall. And he desires to drag as many people along with him as possible.

And here we tread on occult and perhaps even holy ground. Satan turned evil into sin. He is called by the Lord the murderer of humans and the liar from the beginning (from his fall) and the father of a liar. The Lord also states that he saw Satan fall to earth as a flash of lightning. Yet I dare say that in all this God Himself played the devil to the devil, so to speak. As He that is creating evil, He tested the devil who subsequently fell in hubris and then turned his pride into full-blown sin. Satan did not guard his heart. He looked at his own greatness instead of the infinite greatness of God. And so evil became angelic sin and sinfulness. As said before, Satan was 999 along with all the angels (do not ask me how he could be the highest form of 999; perhaps 999.999 [just joking]; what counts is that angels are 999 by their unfallen nature, just as those born of Christ through the Holy Spirit are 888 as to their new nature: it is a question of character). He did not have a disadvantage over against the elected and holy angels. He could have stood firm and triumphant. Did God seduce him then? No, He tested him, just as He tests all angels and all of us. As I said, here we tread on occult and even holy ground as far as Satan and God are concerned. The above scripture in which the Lord Himself calls Himself the One in process of creating evil and darkness, is further best left alone, I think. One could involve yet the vision of the prophet Michah in this and the first two chapters of the book of Job, but the hidden things, as it is also written, belong to God! Yet it is obvious from the bible that Satan threw the glove before the holy countenance of the Lord and the Lord in His wisdom took up the challenge. And to his chagrine the devil finds out that time and time again it all works out for the best of those that love God. All ad maiorem Dei gloriam. The devil cannot do anything against the express will of the Almighty. Augustine posed that fallen angels are set in their will. That must mean as much that they have no freedom or liberty left (ultimately). But the bible teaches that humans also are bent on evil and sin, since the fall of Adam, through whom sin came into the world. Note, sin and transgression (not evil!) came into the world through Adam. Sin is lawlessness, according to the apostle John.

Evil, in the above verse (Isaiah 45. 7), seems to be some kind of possibility to allow sin. Evil is God’s test of our love and we turn evil into sin. If one watches evil too much, one can become mesmerized and turn it into sin. If one thinks, however, that if one occupies oneself only with good one will win out, then one is bound to become naive. The bible itself is full of evil examples that serve as warnings. Therefore it is of the utmost importance to take every thought captive into obedience to Christ and to break down every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.

“Let us make man in our image.” Such a Scripture does not support the trinity, but it does support the plain truth that the Word was God and the Word was with God, two Beings with the one sacred name of God/Elohim (John 1:1-2). “In the Beginning was the WORD (Logos/Spokesman/Revelatory Thought), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.” This clearly reveals, to objective readers, TWO Beings who shared the ONE family name of GOD. (Ephes. 3:15). God created all things through Yeshua/Jesus who was the Word (Ephes. 3:9).

When the Word became flesh He was “God with us” and thereby became the “Son” and the One who remained in Heaven thereby became the “Father.” They had coexisted eternally in a SHARED GLORY (John 8:42, 7:5, 8, 16:27-28). We can either accept or reject Yeshua’s revelation of the UNKNOWN FATHER FIGURE whom mankind has never heard or seen. The Word who became Yeshua is the Divine Being who dealt with ancient Israel. They didn’t know the Father and most still don’t today, and they can’t unless the Son reveals Him (John 5:37, 6:44,46, 8:54-55).

And we can either accept or reject Yeshua’s explanation/interpretation of what “one” means: unity/united. He said the Father was in Him and He was in the Father (through the Holy Spirit and unity of mind and purpose) and He prayed for the Church of God to express and exhibit that exact same unity and oneness by the Holy Spirit (John 14:11, 15:4, 17:11, 21, 23). Please check out these Scripture references and see that it is so. One Holy Spirit of UNITY AND DIVINE PURPOSE (I Cor. 12:12-20).

The Scripture says “Let us make man in our image,” and it says “ELOHIM (not YHVH) made man in His image.” It’s saying the Word and God made man “in OUR image” and, that as ONE GOD FAMILY UNIT/KINGDOM, the united God made man in HIS image. It elaborates, for our sakes, by also saying Elohim created MAN in His image…MALE and FEMALE created He THEM” (Gen. 1:27).

So there’s a reverse of the singular and the plural, man/them and our/His. This “mystery” is further revealed when it’s written in Gen. 5:1-2: “In the day that Elohim (Gods) created man, in the likeness of God made He HIM; male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name ADAM.” The ONE ADAM FAMILY then had a son, Seth, in “his (Adam’s) own likeness, after his image” (Gen. 5:3).

Does this exclude Eve? Wasn’t Seth also in her human likeness and image? Yes. For conclusive proof that God PURPOSELY inserted all this into the Genesis account to REVEAL to us later about the ONE GOD FAMILY/KINGDOM, the apostle Paul preaches: “For we [Christians] are members of his [Yeshua’s] Body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and they TWO shall be ONE FLESH. This is a GREAT MYSTERY: but I speak concerning Christ and the Church” (Ephes. 5:30-32).

That’s how the ONE GOD FAMILY (Elohim with the Father Supreme and the Son gladly subject to His authority – 1 Cor. 15:28) can be and is presently composed of two God-Beings, and is in the conversion process of “bringing MANY SONS TO GLORY” (Heb. 2:10) since Christ was the “FIRSTBORN OF MANY BRETHREN” (Rom. 8:29). Jesus was the PROTOTYPE of a new genus: the Kingdom of God!

It’s illustrated that even as MANKIND has shared in Adam’s earthy image, we’re soon to share in the HEAVENLY image of the Second Adam when we’re born again of the Holy Spirit (John 3:3,6 4:24), with righteous character and composition! Mankind after the Godkind! And all through the ONE SPIRIT of God that unites us.

“Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27), “who shall change our vile body that it may be FASHIONED/CREATED like unto His GLORIOUS BODY” (Philip. 3:21), “for we know that when He shall appear, WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM” (1 John 3:2) – we are not going to be dogs or cats, or even angels, we are to be heavenly beings, HOLY SPIRIT-COMPOSED, born again GOD-BEINGS in the one divine family unit/Elohim!

We are presently members of MANkind, huMAN, in the ADAMic Family unit (Gen. 5:2), but God promises we’ll soon be changed in the twinkling of an eye, miraculously transformed, and join the HEAVENLY SPIRIT/GOD FAMILY.

We’ve clearly seen how “two” can be “one” whether in the God Family or in the Adam family. It’s right there in the Bible if we’ll just believe what we see and read. It’s the plain truth of the Bible for those willing to believe what God has revealed.

Those who reject the testimony of the Scriptures (to hang on to vain traditions of men, whether trinity or oneness) are unable to explain what we’re to become. Why have we received the down payment/earnest of the Spirit? (Ephes. 1:13-14). What conversion process are we in? (2 Cor.3:18). What are we being converted to if not into the character and composition of the Holy Spirit?

God is spirit. We must be born again of the SPIRIT. Yeshua is the FIRSTBORN of many brethren (Rom. 8:29). We’re presently partakers of the DIVINE nature (2 Pet. 1:4). God is our Father, Yeshua is our elder Brother – a family relationship. We’re in Adam’s human/earthy image now; we’re to be in the Second Adam’s spiritual/heavenly/divine image soon.

God is reproducing Himself! That’s what the conversion process is all about: God became man so man could become God. Mankind was created after the Godkind so after a life of conversion and purification, we can be resurrected to GLORY and share the glory of the Father and Son as born-again sons of God (Elohim).

Again, what are we to become? How can you strive to enter the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Gods (Elohim), leaving the human kingdom behind, if you refuse to accept the awesome potential God (Elohim) offers? Take receiving the Holy Spirit and being born again of the Holy Spirit to its logical/biblical end/fulfillment.

When we’re glorified God-Beings, worshipping our Supreme Father God in His Kingdom (I Cor. 15:28), just like Yeshua will submit to the Father as all in all, we’ll be immortal Priest-Kings (Rev. 5:10, 20:6), and God will be the “God of Gods” (Ps. 97:7, 136:2). Christ is the King of Kings (we’re those kings), and the Lord of Lords (we’re those lords), and the Father is God of Gods (we’re those Gods/Elohim) – (Micah 4:5).

We either accept Yeshua’s revelation of the UNKNOWN FATHER and His eternal coexistence with Him, and His work as Creator, as the Word, under the supervision of the Father, or we must reject the New Testament.

The Jews know Yeshua’s claims and don’t water them down to fit their religion. They reject His revelation for now, like most of traditional Christianity, but both Houses of Israel (Anglo-Saxons, Western Europeans and Jews as taught by Brit-Am Israel) will get over this stumbling block and soon embrace our transcendent calling to become literal members of the Heavenly Family of Gods (Elohim), higher than the animals and angels (Heb. 2:9-10).

We don’t call God the Father for nothing, or do we? We’re to be the literal children of God, the Children of the Resurrection (Luke 20:36).

I have proven to myself, most prayerfully, that the Philadelphia Church of God is the most unique of all the groups who’ve distanced themselves from the Worldwide Church of God’s devious doctrinal changes. Only Malachi’s Message clearly speaks with AUTHORITY and not “like the scribes” (Matt. 7:29). I’ve listened carefully for THE Voice of the Shepherd, hearing what the Spirit says to God’s Church today, checking out everything with the Bible and what Mr. Armstrong faithfully taught us (John 10:3; Rev. 3:22; 2 Thess. 2:15).

Of course, there are those who claim to follow the traditions we’ve been schooled in, yet they’ve refused to humble themselves and submit to the fact that JESUS CHRIST had already moved HIS LAMPSTAND by the time they finally saw the light! All that was necessary for them to do was to go where Christ had already gone, and support HIS WORK of knocking the errors in the Worldwide Church of God, while holding on for dear life to God’s truth! We either GET A GRIP – or we lose it! (Rev. 3:11).

Instead of working with Christ, some have chosen to do their own thing, contributing to the Church’s state of confusion, rather than helping to RESTORE ORDER (1 Cor. 14:33). Why duplicate efforts, wasting precious time and money? Why not join ranks with the PCG so we can present a UNITED FRONT to an increasingly divided world? This would enable us to effectively share with others the message GOD would have them to hear (John 12:49). We ought to come together, in Christ, especially since we’ve all been taught repeatedly: “There is only one Church. Not a parent church and many little daughter churches that have split off in disagreement. Divisions splintering off are NOT STILL IN THE CHURCH” (Mystery of the Ages, pg. 243).

Whether we like it or not, God, in His infinite wisdom, chose Gerald Flurry to reveal to God’s Church what was going on – and thereby allow us to show our true colors by how we responded to Malachi’s Message. (That doesn’t mean Mr. Flurry is infallible or that he doesn’t need to continually apply the principles of Malachi’s Message to himself and organization, as we all do as explained in my article “Worldwide All Over Again?”).

Restored to Zion!

If I’m so convinced that Christ is only with the PCG, and that the others are self-willed, for the most part, resisting God’s lead, why don’t I attend their services? (Matt. 7:21; 1 Sam. 15:23). And how can I believe that God is actively working through me in the Middle East? Because I’ve unjustly been disfellowshipped (2 Thess. 3:2), yet I remain loyal to God’s truth they teach!

It’s BEWILDERING to see an organization that apparently started out so good and strong and righteous degenerate into a personality CULT that rules through intimidation and fear and borders emperor worship! Yet they have more truth in many regards than the others, just like Herbert W. Armstrong saw Sardis (Church of God, 7th Day) did, however impotent. Strange but true! Perhaps it’s like Saul was still the anointed until he was punished by death for his sins and then David reigned…..

When Gerald Flurry wasn’t anything in his own sight or mind God used him and now, unfortunately, it appears to have gone to his head, all the new revelation (simply a deeper understanding of some things), and he forgets that all truth is from and belongs to GOD and that God can use a donkey to deliver it! (1 Cor. 4:7). Gerald Flurry has become so swollen in his own imagination that he fails to see that he is the leader of LAODICEA! He knows what warning God is giving the Laodiceans, of which he is chief! He had better heed his own words!

Under Herbert Armstrong Pasadena, California was the headquarters of the Philadelphia era of God’s Church; now Edmond, Oklahoma is the headquarters of the Laodicean era, and next in God’s plan is the restoration of His headquarters to Jerusalem!

God knows my attitude and actions still support the work God’s given them to do, but I truly believe what Gerald Flurry teaches: their work’s almost finished! It’ll just slightly overlap the beginning of GOD’S FINAL WORK as outlined in my book, Beyond Babylon: Europe’s Rise and Fall (John 3:30). Minister Dennis Leap wickedly disfellowshipped me for believing that GOD has ORDAINED that I should promote its timely truth (Isa. 61:1), even though I’m not from the “school of the prophets” (Ambassador College), or going about it in the “conventional” way (1 Sam. 17:39).

I’ve come to better understand that God has already begun the transitional process of RESTORING His Menorah – His Lampstand to JERUSALEM! (1 Kgs. 11:36; Amos 9:11). As prophesied, a NATIONAL MESSENGER will be on active duty in Jerusalem, preparing the way for Messiah’s imminent return(Zech. 12:8). God reveals He would send this outspoken individual to deliver a BLISTERING MESSAGE and a SCORCHING CONDEMNATION to the NATIONS – just before NUCLEAR FIRE AND BRIMSTONE RAINS DOWN upon those who’ve rejected GOD’S ULTIMATUM! (Isa. 41:27; 30:27; Micah 3:8).

It’s from Jerusalem that we must warn another HOLOCAUST is coming! That’s the sensitive location where God will spark a NATIONAL DEBATE and ignite an INTERNATIONAL CONTROVERSY! (Micah 6:1-2). It’ll shock the Jews and anger the Germans! It’ll undoubtedly offend many holocaust survivors who now live in Israel, but they ought to understand and lend their voices of experience to ours, having personally witnesses GERMANY’S BRUTE FORCE, to help our efforts to ensure “Never Again!”

Regardless, we can expect a maelstrom of protest and a bitter backlash — but such persecution will only fan the flames of this BURNING ISSUE! (Isa. 54:15-16). Both Germany and Israel (for their own reasons), will want to immediately stop such “incitement” — calling it fear-mongering and racist — but they’ll fail and God’s Word will prevail (Jer. 1:19).

God must grant “political immunity” to His Two Witnesses, so they can be free to boldly say and do all that He commands, even though the world will regard them as public enemy number one! (Ps. 105:15; Rev. 11:10). Undeterred, they’ll carry on God’s Work and serve as His official government spokesmen, even in the hostile face of fierce opposition (Jer. 1:8). But I’m getting ahead of myself. This is all related in Beyond Babylon, but let’s go back to the beginning – of the true Philadelphian era….

Experiences of Mr. Armstrong

In the words of Mr. Armstrong, referring to his dealings with certain Sardis ministers, “I Shall Not Hide the FACTS!” (Autobiography of HWA, Vol. 1, pg. 366). However, lest I be misunderstood, I’d been most hesitant to say or write anything about my experiences with certain professing Philadelphian ministers, but I feel compelled by GOD to state the truth, without fearing men’s reactions, but trusting in God’s PURPOSE!

Mr. Armstrong relates how he had presented a “dual test” to the Church of God, Seventh Day, to help him determine whether or not it truly was the Church of God. His first test involved mailing an “exposition of 16 TYPEWRITTEN PAGES proving clearly, plainly, and beyond contradiction that a certain minor point of doctrine… was in error… to see whether their leaders would confess error and change.” Their leader admitted what Mr. Armstrong pointed out was true, but feared it might upset many of the members and even threaten to divide the Church! “Naturally, this shook my confidence considerably.” (Autobiography of HWA, Vol. 1, pgs. 360-361, emphasis mine).

I, too, detected “a certain minor point of doctrine” taught by Dennis Leap (on the 144,000), was in error. I didn’t want to rock the boat, and it wasn’t something I’d lose sleep over, so I wanted to just ignore or overlook the matter, but God wouldn’t let me! Amazingly, a dear friend asked me about the 144,000 out of the blue, and then somehow it came up again with someone else; so God succeeded in getting my attention to write Dennis Leap about it. I sent him my PAGE AND 1/2 LETTER, reproduced here — and didn’t hear anything.

Finally, around my third try (I don’t give up easily!), Dennis Leap discussed it with me on the phone. When I mentioned that the Scriptures clearly state that once you’ve broken your “seal” you’ve lost your salvation, and to claim we can somehow be “resealed” amounts to crucifying Christ twice, Dennis Leap stammered around, unable to justify his position, but remained determined to stick with it — to my sorrow. Like Herbert W. Armstrong’s experience, “Naturally, this shook my confidence considerably.”

Church Rejects New Truth

God used an evangelist in Florida to challenge Mr. Armstrong. He had written Mr. Armstrong and told him he was ignorant if he didn’t know where we are mentioned in the Bible. After gleaning through the surprising amount of information on the subject in the library, Mr. Armstrong PROVED that the so-called “Lost 10 Tribes” are, in fact, the American, British and Northwest European peoples. He then sent the “lengthy manuscript of close to 300 TYPED PAGES” that he had written to support this truth to the editor and leader of the Church. “Did this Church accept and proclaim this vital new truth… But this Church refused then to accept it or preach it or publish it though their leader frankly confessed it was TRUTH and a revelation from GOD! Yet here was the Church which appeared to have more truth, and less error than any other… Truly this was bewildering!” (Pg. 362)…

Philadelphia Church of God Leads Laodicean Era (Conclusion)

CERN (the Geneva-based European laboratory for particle physics) announces the discovery of Higgs boson “God particle”.It took about five decades and over £2.6 Billion to reach this point of discovery and now we can start a new era in our understanding of the universe.

About 13.7 billion years ago, the “Big Bang” gave birth to the universe and caused an outburst of massless particles and radiation energy. When the universe began to cool, particles acquired mass, slowed down and began to group to form composite particles that lead eventually to atoms.

Physicists trying to understand the Universe have come up with a theoretical framework that brings together the various forces of nature. It is called the Standard Model. The problem was that the model did not explain why matter has mass.

In the 1960s Peter Higgs and five other physicists tried to explain why some particles have mass while others do not. Higgs’s idea was that the universe has an invisible field similar to a magnetic field (Higgs field).When a particle can move through this field with little or no interaction, there will be no drag, and that particle will have little or no mass. On the other hand, if a particle interacts with the Higgs field, it will have a higher mass.

The idea of the Higgs field requires the acceptance of a related particle: the Higgs boson. A boson is a type of subatomic particle that imparts a force. Higgs suggested that its existence could explain why matter, from atoms to planets, has mass rather than float around the Universe without any mass, like photons of light.

According to Einstein, E=mc^2 energy and mass are equivalent to one another. So mass m=E/c^2

This means that if we add enough energy into a system we can create mass.

The term “God particle” was given by Nobel laureate physicist Leon Lederman in the early 1990s relating to the research of “Higgs boson”. Lederman said he gave the Higgs boson the nickname “The God Particle” because the particle is “so central to the state of physics today, so crucial to our final understanding of the structure of matter, yet so elusive”.

With the recent discoveries by scientists at CERN and proof of the existence of the “God particle”, we can see more evidence of God’s fingerprint in creation. Certain physicists are uncomfortable with the label “God” particle for the Higgs boson particle.

Non-believing scientists despise this term because of the association of the creator. They probably feel uneasy when religion is combined with science. However, without the “God particle” there would be no galaxies, no stars, no planets and no life on Earth.From the “Big Bang” forward we can explain the creation and the evolution, however we do not know what was before and who or what caused the “Big Bang”.

Actually, we, physicists must be believers. We state that “God’s particle” is everywhere and without it there is nothing…

We can not see (Higgs field), we can only see and measure the results (collisions). According to the results we claim that we have found “God’s particle”.

We can not see (God), we can only see his creations (results). According to the “results” we should state that “we have found God” or its existence…

The God Particle: If the Universe Is the Answer, What is the Question? (Lederman).

“In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.”

If we would ask the right questions and read carefully the Bible, maybe we would not need five decades and over £2.6 Billion to understand the universe.

Dr. Giora Ram (a non-religious believer)

Speaking of some of the saints who were temporarily restored to physical life to testify about Yeshua's resurrection, after jealous Jewish leaders delivered Him to the bloody Romans to murder, we find, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit:

Matthew 27:53

… and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the HOLY CITY and appeared to many.

Paul, speaking of the imminent Third Temple, the holy TEMPLE OF GOD (the Temple of God – not just of the Jews or any other conspiracy theory that contradicts Scripture), that Europe's wannabe divine emperor will pollute, coveting it since Satan knows (even if some religious folks don't) it is the TEMPLE OF GOD:

2 Thessalonians 2: 4

… who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the TEMPLE OF GOD , showing himself that he is God.

Speaking of the imminent Third Temple and EU occupation of Jerusalem (whose days are numbered when they trespass upon the Temple Mount), and simultaneous ministry of the Two Witnesses, the apostle John was inspired by the Holy Spirit to foretell:

Revelation 11: 1-3

1 Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying,? Rise and measure the TEMPLE OF GOD [not merely of the Jews or of the Masons or Illuminati or whoever some slander], the altar, and those who worship there. 2 But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread THE HOLY CITY underfoot for forty-two months. 3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.

Speaking of the imminent clash between Catholic Europe and Islam with Jerusalem's holy Temple Mount caught in the middle:

Daniel 11: 40-45

At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels. 44 But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. 45 And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him.

Jerusalem is holy in the biblical sense it has been called to fulfill its awesome calling to become the City of our God, the City of the Great King. It has been sanctified, set apart for a holy purpose that it will soon fulfill. It is holy, even though it is a sinful city, just like Israel and Judah are holy, set apart, sanctified, and need to learn to live holy lives.

The New Jerusalem doesn't come down from Heaven until after the initial thousand year reign of Christ who will subdue all opposition and destroy all enemies, including death and Satan when the Earth is purified by fire. Then the Father comes with New Jerusalem – the Sabbath-keepingChurch of God is a type of it.

Meanwhile, we pray for Judah and intercede for Jerusalem:

Isaiah 62: 1-2

1 For Zion's sake I will not hold My peace,

And for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest,

Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,

And her salvation as a lamp that burns.

2 The Gentiles shall see your righteousness,

And all kings your glory.

You shall be called by a new name,

Which the mouth of the LORD will name.

Isaiah 62: 6-7

6 I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;

They shall never hold their peace day or night.

You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent,

7 And give Him no rest till He establishes

And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

These watchmen are the Two Witnesses of Revelation 11 – Two Witnesses who will testify in Jerusalem against Europe. They will announce to the cities of Judah and comfort captive Israel (all Twelve Tribes) that our God will come and save us.

Isaiah 35: 4

4 Say to those who are fearful-hearted,

"Be strong, do not fear!

Behold, your God will come with vengeance,

With the recompense of God;

He will come and save you. "

Isaiah 25: 9

9 And it will be said in that day:

"Behold, this is our God;

We have waited for Him, and He will save us.

This is the LORD;

We have waited for Him;

We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation. "

The favor of God is worth more than 10 years of sweating and labor. It can be simply defined as the unmerited goodness of God upon the life of an individual. What you do not deserve is expressly given to you on a platter of gold. It is one of the most remarkable things that can happen to an individual on planet earth.

How do we know when we are favored of God?

There are numerous signs or indicators that can be seen in the life of an individual who is enjoying the unmerited goodness of God. Just like pregnancy which cannot be hidden, it will definitely be clear to all that such a person is enjoying the express grace of God.

Rapid promotion

When Joseph had a dream about becoming the head over all the other brethren, he never realized what his dream would eventually cost him. After much joy and happiness over the revelation he received from God, he soon found himself in a pit prepared for slavery. He landed in a strange land where the desire to live a holy life made him to be thrown into prison.

Right there in prison, he found uncommon grace in the sight of the prison keeper. He soon left prison to become the second highest personality in the land of Egypt. His rapid promotion is traceable to the wonderful grace upon his life.

Men will show you favor

One of the signs that God has marked you out for his abundant mercy is the fact that men will favor you for good. People will begin to show you mercy without any scientific or human explanation. It is so complicated and strange to explain how this phenomenon operates, but the signs are ominous and clear for all to see.

Things will begin to work together for your good

A fellow who had been jobless for more than 6 years once saw an advert in a newspaper and decided to apply for the job. It was a vacancy for management trainees in an oil servicing company based in Port Harcourt Rivers State Southern Nigeria. When the list of short listed candidates to undergo an Aptitude test eventually came out, his name was among.

He went to write the test and eventually got the plum job. Few months later, he confessed how one of the company executives he never knew from Adam assisted him to get the job. It was the recommendation from the company executive that swayed the job in his favor. How can one explain such remarkable transformation from a life of frustration to that of joy and abundance?

There are several ways to attract this wonderful virtue upon our life. One of such ways is to continuously live a life that pleases God. Secondly, show kindness and mercy to others when the opportunity to do so shows up. Finally, pray to God to always. When God decides to shine his face upon you, lines shall begin to fall in pleasant places on your behalf.

A lot of us want to have more faith and get closer to God. The question is how do we do this? Maybe we should, strip away our inhibitions, unlock our imaginations, and send an imaginary e-mail to God. Maybe we have to find our faith before we can learn how to communicate with God.

Maybe you could send God an imaginary e-mail in the form of a prayer. After all, God is always interested in hearing our prayers, isn't he? It is not the type of thing that you have to worry about him opting into. God is always listening.

How would we start? Perhaps the subject line could read, "Dear God hear my prayer." No I am afraid that would be too long. How about, "Prayer to God" That might do the trick nicely and we would have no fear of spamming the recipient.

I think it is best to leave any request for help to the body of the text. What would you like to ask for? Good health is often a way to go, but I think you need to get more personal and specific then that.

How about telling God that you are tired of patching yourself together with temporary quick fixes to control your weaknesses like smoking, eating, or drinking too much? That should get Gods attention, don't you think?

I wonder what God would say in an answer to us? Maybe he would tell us to stop trying to patch ourselves together and find more faith so that we could be strong enough to overcome our weaknesses with his help. Maybe we could use our imaginations to develop our own personal faith patch to replace all those other temporary patches and help us deal with our problems. Maybe we could use our faith.

You don't have to worry about the address or click on the send button in this imaginary e-mail. I believe that God is always interested in hearing our prayers no matter what form they take.

Are you ready to send a message of faith to God?

You don't have to worry about sending this e-mail to the wrong address because God is always with us and has a universal address. You don't even have to type out this e-mail on your word processor. You can just think it.

Whatever you do, try and rely on your faith in God to help you overcome your weaknesses. Stop trying to patch yourself together. Try and find more faith so that you can learn to cope with your personal problems and the troubles of our time like terrorism and natural disasters.

Don't forget to leave your personal signature in your e-mail to God. It's not that he doesn't know who you are; it is just that he may be waiting to hear that you are becoming a Person of Faith. It might help for you to mention this in your signiture block.
An example could read something like this:

Your name:

Statement that you are becoming a Person of Faith

Statement that you believe in God

Your e-mail address (unnecessary)

Your telephone number (unnecessary)

God knows where to find you.

Are you ready to stop patching yourself together?

Are you ready to become a Person of Faith?

God may be waiting to hear from you.

Are you ready to communicate with God? Do you feel in your heart that you are a worthwhile person that is entitled to speak to God? Have you spent your life doing good works and caring about other people? The rest is up to you.