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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

• Baptism• John a Priest?

• Eternal HellfirePg. 36

WORLD FOCUSThe Google Future and Artificial Intelligence • Winner of the Next Great Global Game

Has the GreatFalling Away fromthe Faith Begun?– Part 1

Running the Race Toward the Goal

Pg. 17

Gorging OurselvesPg. 23

The Most Faked and AbusedBrand Name in the Universe: RevisitedPg. 13

Are We Living Again in the Daysof Noah and Lot?Pg. 21

Welcome: New Readers toMidnight Call MagazineAs we continue sending out thousands of letters ask-ing Christians to join the growing list of Midnight Callreaders, we take this opportunity to first thank you,who have responded to our 50th anniversary lettercampaign. We are inviting people everywhere to readAmerica’s only international Bible prophecy-orientedpublication. The campaign will continue, and we en-courage you to take part in sending forth His Word.The cost to send out 550 letters is $25, 1,100 letters is$50, and 2,200 letters is $100.Volumes of mail have arrived, and we are deeply

thankful for those who have responded to our offer. The question many ask is, what is Midnight Call all

about? For one thing, we are somewhat different be-cause we are truly international. Our emphasis was,is, and always will be: the Church of Jesus Christ onearth. This Church is made up of born-again peoplefrom all over the world, regardless of nationality, cul-ture, tradition, or political adherence. While there is much infighting and out-fighting in

the political world, with different goals, motives, andaims, we—the Church of Jesus Christ—are com-manded in 1 Peter 2:5: “Ye also, as lively stones, arebuilt up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offerup spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by JesusChrist.” What will happen when this spiritual house iscompleted? The Lord will take possession thereof,

and the entire Church will be raptured into His pres-ence. While here on earth, we do our utmost to make

known Jesus Christ the Lord, the Savior of all who willplace their trust in His accomplished work on Cal-vary’s cross. When it comes to nationalities, Christiansare found in all nations of the world. But within thesenations, we are actually strangers and foreigners.Why? Because we are just passing through. Mosesmakes it plain in Psalm 90:10: “The span of our life isseventy years, or, given the strength, eighty years; butthe best of them are trouble and sorrow” (Tenakh).Verse 12 is a prayer: “So teach us to number our days,that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”Indeed, Christians are strangers and foreigners in

whatever country they reside, but they have a glori-ous, eternal citizenship, as we can read in Ephesians2:19: “Now therefore ye are no more strangers andforeigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and ofthe household of God.” That is one of the reasonswhy we have no time for presidents or prime minis-ters, chancellors or dictators; we respect, we obeyand follow the duties our government requires, butour real aim is always the heavenly citizenship. Thatmakes Midnight Call different. I pray that you will ac-tively help to proclaim the glorious gospel of ourLord Jesus Christ—the full Scripture from Genesis toRevelation—until the spiritual temple is completed,and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

BY ARNO FROESE

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6

Has the Great FallingAway from the FaithBegun? – Part 1By Stephan Beitze

The Lord Jesus called deception one of the mostimportant end-time signs before His coming in glory.Although the culmination of the seduction will comein the tribulation period, we already see theharbingers of it.

13 Money: Ends and Trends

The Most Faked and Abused Brand Name in theUniverse: Revisited By Wilfred Hahn

17 Running the Race Toward the Goal By Fredy Peter

21 Are We Living Again in the Daysof Noah and Lot? By Norbert Lieth

23 Gorging OurselvesBy Dr. Ron J. Bigalke

Midnight CallJULY 2018

4 Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By René Malgo

34 Action for Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By Arno Froese

36 Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By Arno Froese

BAPTISM...JOHN A PRIEST?...ETERNAL HELLFIRE

Contents

DEPARTMENTS

COVER STORY

28 USA

The Google Future andArtificial Intelligence

29 EU

UK Gets Most Cash forImmigrants

30 ARGENTINA

The Wealthy Hoarding Billions

31 CANADA

Prime MinisterApologizes for RefusingJewish Refugees

31 SWITZERLAND

Five Robots ReplaceSeven Employees

33 WORLD

Winner of the NextGreat Global Game

MIDNIGHT CALL

Editor’s Note

The Greatest Sign of the End Times

What is the greatestsign of the endtimes? Ron Rhodes

calls Israel the “super sign ofthe end times,” because we seeits existence as a nation todaybefore our very eyes. But there

is an end-times sign that is even bigger, althoughwe can’t see it with our own eyes. However, we ex-perience its far-reaching effects every day.

What really got the end times rolling is the incar-nation of the Son of God: the coming of our Lord Je-sus Christ to this earth. For the apostles, Hisappearance in the midst of His people was the be-ginning of the end of the ages (Gal 4:4; 1 Cor 10:11;1 Pet 1:20). It was the greatest sign of the last days(cf. Matt 1:23; Luke 2:11-12).

With Christ, life Himself appeared in this world(1 John 1:1-3). The reconciliation of the world ap-peared in person (1 John 2:2; 2 Cor 5:19). The lightof the world Himself appeared (John 8:12). And soJohn could write at the time, “…the darkness ispast, and the true light now shineth” (1 John 2:8).

According to the conviction of the apostles, thedarkness of the world was about to pass away (Rom13:12). The day was near (James 5:8-9), becauseChrist had abolished “sin by the sacrifice of himself”(Heb 9:26). His coming marked the turning point inhuman history. And in the end, he didn’t return assoon as the apostles and their disciples had ex-pected, because the infinitely merciful and graciousGod wants to save more people (2 Pet 3:9).

It was right when John wrote, over 1,900 yearsago, “Little children, it is the last time” (1 John

2:18). He couldn’t guess how much longer the lasthour would last, any more than we can figure it out(Acts 1:7), but he did well to connect the last hourwith the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. 1John 2:18-23). For in Him, the kingdom of God hastruly come near!

John called all those who deny that Jesus is theSon of God “antichrist.” Christ is another word forMessiah, or Anointed. In other words, anyone whodenies that Jesus is Israel’s Messiah is an antichrist.That is why the apostles so often used the near endof all things as a starting point (1 Pet 4:7). Becausethe King of Israel, prophesied for the end of days,had come and solved the problem of sin. The fulfill-ment of Old Testament prophecy had begun.

By “Son of God,” John, like the other apostles,meant God Himself. This is made clear by the factthat he calls the Lord Jesus “light” and “life.” In ad-dition, he concludes the First Epistle of John with awarning against idols, and in the line just prior to it,emphasizes regarding the Lord Jesus, “…This is thetrue God, and eternal life” (5:20).

That is why it is the end times: God Himself, Godthe Son, has appeared and was made known as Is-rael’s Messiah on this earth. And whoever deniesthis is an antichrist.

According to John, such people who deny thatthe Son of God became man are antichrists (1 John4:1-6). For this reason also, these are the end times,because a world event couldn’t be more dramatic:God Himself, who doesn’t take on a human shell,but rather becomes human and thus inseparablyconnects with His creatures. As a human, JesusChrist is our mediator (1 Tim 2:5). As a human, He

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STATEMENT OF FAITHWE BELIEVE in the divine inspiration of the whole Bible and there-with the infallibility of the Holy Scripture, which is God’s Word, andin the eternal Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

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WE BELIEVE in the immortality of our souls and the resurrection of ourbodies, and in the resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlastingblessedness of the saved and the everlasting punishment of the lost.

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is the first coming of the resurrection (1 Cor 15:21-22). And as a hu-man, He is our intercessor before the Father. He knows exactly whatwe’re feeling and how we think, because He also went through it Him-self, but without sin (Heb 4:14-16).

There has never been anything like it in history, and never will beagain: God Himself became a man. He remained who He is, and yet be-came what He had not been before. In this way he reconciled the peoplewith Himself, joined with them, and incorporated them into His heav-enly life, so that all who believe and abide in Jesus Christ may be calledthe children of God. Therefore, figuratively speaking, the manger, thecross, and the empty tomb are the greatest signs of the end times, forthey show that the most holy Creator has made Himself approachable,to draw His fallen creatures for time and eternity. And we can only mar-vel at it, worship and exclaim, “Amen, come, Lord Jesus!”

About Ebenezer Home: Due to circumstances in Israel, David Phillips was un-able to write a column for this month. But you can continue to donate to theHome as usual (you may call or visit our website).

MC

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PHONE 1-800-845-2420


Stephan Beitze

There have always been passionate preachers who warned of theapproaching apocalypse and denounced the corruption of society.What is different today?

Has the GreatFalling Away fromthe Faith Begun? – Part 1

C O V E R S T O R Y

The Bible speaks repeatedly of“falling away.” Sometimes theword “apostasy” is used, meaning

rebellion or turning away from some-thing that you had believed in.

In the Old Testament, terms such as“backsliding” appear (Jer 2:19; 5:6; 8:5;14:7; Hos 11:7). When it came to apos-tasy in Israel, it was a turning away fromthe Word of God, from His will, andfrom His presence. This has always beenassociated with idolatry, immorality, so-cial injustice, egoism, and sooner orlater the judgment of God. Among otherthings, Daniel uses this word for thetime of the Antichrist: “With flattery hewill corrupt those who have violated thecovenant (apostatized), but the peoplewho know their God will firmly resisthim” (Dan 11:32 NIV).

In the New Testament, we find vari-ous passages that speak of apostasy fromdivine truths.

The first to speak of apostasy in theend times was the Lord Jesus Himself.He prophesied that in a coming time oftribulation this would be seen in a par-ticular way, “At that time many will turnaway from the faith and will betray andhate each other, and many falseprophets will appear and deceive manypeople” (Matt 24:10-11). The sameword is used in the parable of the sowerand the four soils. From the seed thatfalls in stony places, it says: “But sincethey have no root, they last only a shorttime. When trouble or persecutioncomes because of the word, they quicklyfall away” (Matt 13:21). Although theWord of God has had some effect on

them, they fall away as soon as there areproblems.

The Lord Jesus called deception oneof the most important end-time signs be-fore His coming in glory. It is the onlysign that is repeated three times inMatthew 24 (verses 4-5, 11, 23-26).And, although the culmination of the se-duction will come in the last great tribu-lation period, we already see theharbingers of it.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:3, the apostlePaul wrote to those who said that thecoming of the Lord had already hap-pened: “Let no man deceive you by anymeans: for that day shall not come, ex-cept there come a falling away first, andthat man of sin be revealed, the son ofperdition” (KJV). Elsewhere Paul says,“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, thatin the latter times some shall depart fromthe faith, giving heed to seducing spirits,and doctrines of devils” (1 Tim 4:1). Or,“Take heed, brethren, lest there be in anyof you an evil heart of unbelief, in de-parting from the living God” (Heb 3:12).And, in 2 Timothy 4:4, in the context ofwarnings about the end times, Paul de-clares: “And they shall turn away theirears from the truth, and shall be turnedunto fables.”

These Scriptures show that the morewe approach the end times and the ap-pearance of the Antichrist, the morefalling away will increase. But for thereto be falling away or apostasy, there mustfirst have been something people can fallaway from, and something which has in-fluenced them. If we now look for some-thing in our Western world that has

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It is frightening to see just how much has been lost in the last decades.Christian values are becoming a “scandal,” a motivation for mockery,contempt, and even persecution.

influenced large parts of society for along time, we cannot avoid talking aboutChristianity.

Christianity as a whole not only in-cludes the true believers in Jesus Christ,but also all those who call themselvesChristians culturally, but do not believein their hearts. The whole West andmany other parts of the world were in-fluenced by Christianity and the Bible.We see this in history, literature, laws,habits, education, values and traditions,art, and in many other things…even inthe division of our era into BC (BeforeChrist) and AD (Anno Domini, “in theyear of our Lord”).

It is frightening to see just how muchhas been lost in the last decades. Christ-ian values are becoming a “scandal,” amotivation for mockery, contempt, andeven persecution. Unfortunately, eventrue believers can be influenced by theseworldly tendencies. In the context of 2Timothy, Paul warns against a very dan-gerous time. If we now want to knowwhether the coming of the Lord is near,all we have to do is read the last words ofthe apostle Paul. In the second letter to

Timothy, which could also be describedas his will, the apostle shows the quali-ties that will characterize people in theend times.

He introduces the subject with a gravewarning: “This know also, that in thelast days perilous times shall come” (2Tim 3:1). The qualities the apostle nowbegins to mention are not much differentfrom those in Romans 1, where peopleare generally described who want toknow nothing of God. Why, then, thisserious warning? Not because the dangerof the “last days” originates with peoplewho are far from God, but because theseevil qualities are visible where manyconsider (or considered) themselvesChristians.

Generally speaking, the entire West(Europe, the American continent, Aus-tralia, and parts of Asia and Africa) hasbeen characterized by a certain fear ofGod since its Christianization and intothe mid-20th century. Legislation, moralvalues, and the understanding of what agood life should look like were shapedby the standards in God’s Word. Ofcourse, that does not mean that all peo-

Has the Great Falling Away from the Faith Begun? – Part 1


Legislation, moral values, and theunderstanding of what a good life shouldlook like were shaped by the standards inGod’s Word.

C O V E R S T O R Y

ple believed or kept it. But sinfulnesswas not usually considered a virtue.

This attitude changed drastically, be-ginning in the 1960s. The sexual andfeminist revolution made fornicationand infidelity something worth strivingfor, an expression of supposed authentic-ity and true love. The deliberate rejec-tion of Christian thought exploded: onthe one hand, more and more peopleturned to Eastern and demonic religionsin their search for meaning; and on theother hand, the theory of evolution in-creasingly received the status of religiousdogma. The decline in ethical reasoninghas developed far-reaching conse-quences in the moral behavior of many.Drug use grew out of control. Open Sa-tanism became “cool” (with the thread-bare justification, “We don’t reallybelieve in the devil”). All of this per-verted so-called Christianity as never be-fore.

Some of the effects of this large-scaleapostasy can be seen in 2 Timothy 3.When Paul speaks of the “last days,” healready means the time of Timothy (v. 5).But it is evident that the falling away hasreached an unprecedented peak today.

Paul starts with “lovers of their ownselves.” The people of the end times areegocentric, selfish, and boastful. That isthe essence of sin. The center of theseself-loving people is themselves. It is therealm of the ego. And when the egorules, there is no room for others. We seethis today in many ways. Everything isabout oneself, about self-discovery,about “my identity.” “I believe,” “Ithink,” “I want” is more important thanthe will of God. For self-loving people,there is no time for God and His inter-

ests. At most, He gets what still remainsafter the ego has been fulfilled. A profaneproof of this development is self-por-trayal online. We’ve become a selfie-soci-ety, where the big ego always appearsfirst in the picture.

This self-love is also expressed in anoversized love for one’s own body. Any-one today who doesn’t feel comfortablewith it at best covers it with tattoos, un-dergoes cosmetic surgery, or, in the worstcase, changes their sex. This self-love, inwhich man stands alone in the centerand thinks himself the highest authorityin heaven and earth, has long since infil-trated the churches. The feel-good theol-ogy of our time says, “God wants you tofeel good. So only do what makes youfeel good. It has to be right for you.” Itgives license to do everything that bringsfun, pleasure, or enjoyment. Whether itagrees with God’s Word is no longer im-portant. Biblical principles such as devo-tion, being living sacrifices (Rom 12:2),

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We’ve become a selfie-society, where the big ego always appears first in thepicture.

or abstinence (Gal 5:24) are no longermodern and are barely heard from thepulpits.

The next evil feature on the apostle’slist is “covetous,” or greedy. This isclosely related to the previous one. If youlove yourself, you are striving for moremoney to satisfy yourself. The self-lovercollects money and goods, and there islittle to nothing left over for others. Theydon’t notice how their selfish love ofmoney affects all areas of life—personal,family, and social. Our Lord Jesuswarned against this in Luke 12:34: “Forwhere your treasure is, there will yourheart be also.” He also said that the loveof money is an idol of this world: “Noman can serve two masters: for either hewill hate the one, and love the other; orelse he will hold to the one, and despise

the other. Ye cannot serve God and mam-mon” (Matt 6:24).

Unfortunately, many Christians fallvictim to this pitfall as well. They onlylive for the material, and merely givewhat is left to the Lord. They fly all overthe world for vacations, but have no eyesfor the mission all over the world. Theyspend a lot on themselves, but the Lord’swork cannot go on, because the meansare lacking.

Next, Paul calls out those who are“boasters.” Whoever is enamored withhimself and has a lot of money, naturallyhas to boast about it. Self- and money-lovers show off their new car, the bestcell phone, expensive clothes, the vaca-tion paradise that they visited, what theywere able to afford, or what they pulledoff. And whoever cannot keep up withthe others in this regard plunges intodebt for the sake of appearances. Unfor-tunately, boasting within the church isalso not foreign. Some even manage tobrag about what they have done in theservice of the Lord.

Next follows “proud.” The self-loving,money-loving boasters of the end timesare arrogant. They try to stand aboveeach other. One of the most importantvalues of Christianity, humility, isthought of with contempt and viewed asa weakness. Unfortunately, Christiansalso allow themselves to be blinded by ti-tles, respect, recognition from people,and arrogance. There is not much roomleft for humility.

Paul continues and calls out “blasphe-mers.” It’s a question of denigrating Godand others. Everyone can say all kinds of



This self-love is also expressed in an oversized love for one’s own body. Anyonetoday who doesn’t feel comfortable with it at best covers it with tattoos,undergoes cosmetic surgery, or, in the worst case, changes their sex.

C O V E R S T O R Y

things about Jesus, God, the Bible, andChristians. I honestly believe that Chris-tianity is the religion that most reviles itsown faith. For other religions, Christ isstill a great teacher or prophet. But un-fortunately, He is blasphemed by Chris-tians themselves. Church servicesbecome a show, and publishers refuse tospeak about the righteousness of God,sin, the cross, Jesus’ blood, or the confes-sion of sins.

The most dangerous attacks on theBible are not from the outside, but fromthe inside: from the liberal theologianswho question everything that is super-natural, or even deny it directly—up toand including the resurrection of Jesus.Although they call themselves Chris-tians, they deny the basic principles ofChristianity.

The next characteristic mentioned byPaul, “disobedient to parents,” doesn’tneed much elaboration. Anti-authoritar-ian education is “in.” But if children donot learn to obey their parents, which isthe first commandment with a promise,they will also not obey God or any otherauthority.

Paul calls the next character trait “un-thankful.” This is also related to the pre-vious one. If you don’t respect yourparents, you won’t be thankful, either.This principle applies to all cases inwhich someone does us good, not leastGod Himself, and we don’t appreciate it.In the churches we often find a lot ofcriticism, but few words of thanks.

After ingratitude, Paul mentions “un-holy”; that is, to be “away from God.”Whoever is ungrateful does not need

God. A teen who was offered a New Tes-tament by the Gideons said, “I don’tneed one. I’ve got everything.”

But unholiness is more than just a lifefar from God; it is a life that specificallygoes against Him. Laws that once de-fended Christian values are thrown out,and instead, same-sex marriages, abor-tion, or euthanasia are legalized.

In verse 3, the apostle adds “withoutnatural affection.” This means neglectingor even attacking those who are closestto you; not loving those you would natu-rally love. How many forget their parentsin retirement homes! Worldwide, 56million abortions are performed annu-ally. Child prostitution and pedophiliaare on the rise. What one should natu-rally protect is neglected, tormented, oreven killed.

“Trucebreakers” is the next sad fea-ture. The unforgiving argue about every-thing possible, and do not come togetheranymore. We see this in marriages, but

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They fly all over the world for vacations, but have no eyes for the mission allover the world. They spend a lot on themselves, but the Lord’s work cannot goon, because the means are lacking.

also in society at large; violent demon-strations, and in the increasing hardeningon the right and left sides of the politicalspectrum. News and entertainment pro-grams are full of hostility and unsolvableproblems.

“False accusers” follows. This is one ofthe qualities of the devil himself. Itdoesn’t matter to slanderers whethersomething is true or not; the main thing isthat they can show the other in a badlight. Time and again we hear that we’reliving in a post-truth age. It does not seemimportant whether the media show thetruth. What is important is that I like it,that it is compatible with “my truth.” Thiscan be seen above all in today’s politicaltrench warfare.

Unfortunately, many Christians alsolend the devil their tongues to slanderothers. It starts with neighbors, and does-n’t even stop at the brother in church.

Another trait is “incontinent.” It meansthe opposite of self-restrained. The intem-perate man lives according to his im-pulses. And that leads to the lawlessnessand immorality that we see today. Every-thing is allowed, and even promoted bythe media and legislation. Self-restraint isthought of as an imposition, and is metwith criticism and ridicule. The conse-quence is that we hardly see healthy fami-lies anymore. Man only lives for himself.Divorces, which only a few decades agomeant a catastrophe, are something nor-mal today. Or people just live togetherand when it doesn’t work out, they sepa-rate. Pornography and pedophilia do notstop at Christians. Who dares to defendself-restraint today?

Another term Paul names is “fierce.”This could also be translated as “brutal,”“bloodthirsty,” or “cruel.” Among otherthings, it refers to people who enjoy vio-lence. Today’s media knows how to takeadvantage of this. We hear of rape andsexual harassment more and more, unfor-tunately also from key leaders in the so-called Christian world. On top of that, wesee increasing cruelty in sports, on thestreet, and sadly, often in families. MixedMartial Arts is currently the fastest-grow-ing sport (if you can call it that), and itrevels in pounding an opponent’s faceinto pulp.

A further subject is “despisers of thosethat are good.” It means the opposite offriendliness, kindness, mercy, and otherChristian values. We see this again in themedia, laws, school lessons, etc. It is in di-rect opposition to Biblical values.

Verse 4 continues with “traitors.” Trai-tors are willing to betray, leave, or un-justly treat their spouse, friend, family, oranyone who has helped them. Thepromise, “Till death do us part” is rarelymentioned at weddings or is made fun of.How many everyday promises go unkept?And who still expects a politician to keepall of his campaign promises?

Of course, fidelity to God’s Word is alsoon the chopping block, or has become ob-solete for many. That’s why true Chris-tians everywhere are running into moreand more difficulty. This is what the apos-tle says in verse 12: “Yea, and all that willlive godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer per-secution.” There will be increasinglymore hostility to the gospel and trueChristianity. (MR0118/908)

12 M I D N I G H T C A L L12 M I D N I G H T C A L L


Of course, fidelity to God’s Word is also on the chopping block, or has becomeobsolete for many. That’s why true Christians everywhere are running into moreand more difficulty.

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For resources on "endtime economics," visit Wilfred's website www.eternalvalue.com or

contact him at: [email protected]

Authorities and global agencies havesince intensified their pursuit ofcounterfeit goods. For instance,

heavy pressure has been brought to bear onmanufacturers and exporters of counterfeitgoods from China. China is the largest boot-legger by far, but that does not mean thatcounterfeiting is only limited to non-devel-oped nations. Actually, it is found every-where … namely, anywhere there are willingor gullible buyers of the imitations.

Has this situation improved today? No. Ifanything, the “cat and mouse game” ofcounterfeiting and prevention has becomemuch more sophisticated. A recent reportby the OECD estimated that the value ofcross border trade in fakes in 2013amounted to $461 billion (roughly 2.5% ofall goods). That statistic only covers onekind of counterfeiting—consumer goods. Ifone were to include digital copying, piracy,

intellectual rights … etc., together it is esti-mated to represent some 7.5% of trade.

Owning Up to FalsehoodIt may seem harmless, but counterfeiting bydefinition is deception and has real conse-quences. There will always be a loser on oneside of the transaction … if not both.

I will again risk telling the story of thetime that I bought a fake watch in HongKong. In my frequent travels to Asia, I’d of-ten encounter street bazaars and back alleyvendors that offered fake luxury goods. Thereal version of the watch that I bought atthat time may today be worth as much as$10,000. Back then, the fake I recall cost me$50. I bought it obviously knowing it was aknock-off. I bought it for a gag.

My story, however, is intended to point toseveral facts about product piracy and boot-legging. Firstly, of course, one should not be

Money:Ends&Trends

THEMOST FAKED ANDABUSEDBRANDNAME IN THEUNIVERSE:REVISITED

Some 17 years ago, we wrote about the huge increase in counterfeitingaround the world. All kinds of goods were being copied, patents flouted,high-end brand names being imitated. These activities were experiencing aphenomenal surge. Why was it happening? Because there was a profit tobe made in copying and selling high quality items with large reputationalvalue, and global trade was booming.

By Wilfred Hahn

aiding or participating in the business ofcounterfeiting. It is theft, plain and simple.

And, think about this: Imitations, bytheir very nature, must have an illicit or evilmotive behind them. Since they are not trueor the “real thing,” they can only thrive ondeception.

A third observation about counterfeitingis that the most successful imitations mustbe, by definition, the most cleverly deceiv-ing. In other words, they must most closelymimic the original product to be successful.

Finally, the most crucial lesson of thestory, as we will show, is that there arebound to consequences if deception is in-volved.

Religious Hucksterism and CounterfeitingCounterfeiting of consumer goods today is amassive enterprise. Serious as this is, it onlyhas material consequences. The bootleggedproduct might cause one to lose somemoney. But, what about spiritual imitations?Here the damage can extend to the eternal… and the human soul. Hence lies the greatdanger.

Without a doubt, Christianity is the mostimitated and abused brand name in the

world today. In fact, this “brand name” is soprofusely counterfeited and abused that theassociative meanings that go with this wordare totally destroyed. For someone to iden-tify as being a Christian is likely meaning-less. In fact, to many, this brand name holdsa negative connotation, given the many imi-tations.

Actually, can one be blamed for not want-ing to be identified with this brand thesedays? What does the word “Christian” re-ally stand for? Sadly, when someone is rec-ommended as a Christian, it no longerprovides assurance of any standard of con-duct or beliefs, but only raises questionsand suspicions (yes, suspicions!).

The vast majority of people who considerthemselves Christians today actually holdmany pagan beliefs; only 4% have a Biblicalworldview. According to a Barna survey,even 17% of people who value their faithand attend church regularly do not.

Yet, other sources conclude that as manyas 65% to 70% of Americans consider them-selves Christian. These statistics don’t jivewith each other. What these studies reallyreveal is that many people have been buyinginto deceptive imitations of Christianity. Itsform may look golden and lustrous, as didmy “knock-off” gold watch, but inside, itwas fake. Where is the outcry … where theprotest?

It would be an outrage were the Chryslercar company to sell its small economy carsunder the brand name of Rolls Royce. To-day, there exists a nettle of patent laws andrules concerning intellectual propertyrights, both at the domestic and interna-tional levels. Were Chrysler to do so, itwould quickly find itself sued for damages.But there exists no agency in the world thatwill enforce a patent or intellectual infringe-ment case against the misuses of the “Chris-

Money:Ends&Trends


Counterfeiting of consumer goods today is a massive enterprise.

tian” brand name, nor to press charges ofidentity fraud against the many and sundryfalse messiahs.

There are serious consequences. As itturns out, although the exterior of thewatch that I bought in Hong Kong lookedimpressive, it wasn’t a reliable timepiece.The movements inside were rubbish anddidn’t last very long.

What looked to be one of the world’smost reliable watch brands, ended up beinguseless. Even worse, it provided misleadingguidance. The reputational truth of themaker was taken advantage of … the insidemovement and power source falsified.

To be able to determine the essence andfoundation of any faith, one must check themovement … the original maker’s manual.The spirits must be tested. One’s beliefstatements must be aligned with Scripturaldoctrines and proofs.

False Prophets, Messiahs andGospelsConcerned about the deceptions of falseteachings, the Apostle John gave someguidelines, saying:

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit,but test the spirits to see whether they arefrom God, because many false prophetshave gone out into the world. This is howyou can recognize the Spirit of God: Everyspirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christhas come in the flesh is from God, but everyspirit that does not acknowledge Jesus isnot from God. This is the spirit of the an-tichrist, which you have heard is comingand even now is already in the world” (1John 4:1-3).

Why should we be on guard againstcounterfeit gospels? Firstly, because we arecommanded to do so. Frequently, the writ-ers of the New Testament implore us to beon guard against the counterfeiters. In fact,Christ commended the church at Ephesusfor doing exactly that: “I know that youcannot tolerate wicked men, that you havetested those who claim to be apostles butare not, and have found them false. Youhave persevered and have endured hard-ships for my name, and have not grownweary” (Revelation 2:2b-3).

If anything, these warnings are timelierthan ever today, for we live in the very lastof the last days. Four of the writers of theNew Testament epistles (Paul, Peter, Jamesand Jude) expressly warn that apostasywould be the greatest danger to the Churchin the last days. In fact, it is a mark of thelast stage of the Church Age. Jesus Himselfwarned us to expect many imposters and

The Most Faked and Abused Brand Name in the Universe: Revisited

Christianity is the most imitated and abused brand names in the worldtoday. In fact, this “brand name” is so profusely counterfeited andabused that the associative meanings that go with this word are totallydestroyed.

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false messiahs. Later, after the real Churchis removed, it will get much worse, GodHimself allowing and aiding delusions forthe world.

Consider these additional two warningsabout counterfeit gospels:

“For such men are false apostles, deceit-ful workmen, masquerading as apostles ofChrist. And no wonder, for Satan himselfmasquerades as an angel of light. It is notsurprising, then, if his servants masquer-ade as servants of righteousness” (2Corinthians 11:13-15).

“Watch out for false prophets. Theycome to you in sheep’s clothing, but in-wardly they are ferocious wolves. By theirfruit you will recognize them” (Matthew7:15-16).

The biggest inroad for counterfeit be-liefs (apostasies) that directly oppose orrevise Scripture today, seems to be theclaimed verifications of “angelic” messen-gers. There is a seeming epidemic of “an-gelic visitations” and appearances of Jesus.But, these must be mostly (if not always)dismissed as false; for, either their messagecontradicts Scripture, or their propheciesare proven false. The Apostle Paul virtu-ally pleaded with the churches under hisguidance, saying: “But even if we or an an-gel from heaven should preach a gospelother than the one we preached to you, lethim be eternally condemned!” (Galatians1:8). Real angels only have authority tospeak the words of the Spirit of Jesus.

Thoughts to PonderToday’s world of rampant fakes, impostersand counterfeit goods provides crucial and

timely lessons. Let us not accept cheap al-ternatives and empty salvation, by allow-ing ourselves to be mislead by the veneerof a masquerading brand name.

We must examine our beliefs, test thespirits and search the Scriptures (Acts17:11). Our faith, the Bible tell us, ismore valuable than gold; for the gospel“[…] is the power of God for the salva-tion of everyone who believes” (Romans1:16).

Finally, we stop to consider one last as-pect of the parlous state of the Christianbrand name today: In the economicworld, the brands that are most vulnera-ble to damage by counterfeiting are ex-actly those where reputation is a largecomponent of their value and appeal.These tend to be very expensive, high-quality products, allowing huge profits tothe skillful imitators.

In this reputational sense, we can takeconfirmation from the fact that Christianityand Jesus Christ are being heavily counter-feited today. Why? It proves that they areworthy and true. No one falsifies what is al-ready a proven fake. Why imitate a brandname that has no value or reputation? Whatwould be the profit? As is often said, imita-tion is the sincerest form of flattery. Howmany falsified versions of false religions arethere? None, really.

So, we hold on to our faith, not accept-ing anything that is not proven true. “[…]See that what you have heard from the be-ginning remains in you. If it does, youalso will remain in the Son and in the Fa-ther. And this is what he promised us—even eternal life” (1 John 2:24-25).

Money:Ends&Trends


MC

In this reputational sense, we can take confirmation from the fact thatChristianity and Jesus Christ are being heavily counterfeited today.Why? It proves that they are worthy and true. No one falsifies what isalready a proven fake.

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According to Philippians 3:12-16, sixthings are necessary if we want topress on toward the goal.

First: to pursue the goal requires an honestadmission: “Not as though I had already at-tained, either were already perfect” (Phil3:12). None of us should think we havereached perfection. If a man like Paul saysthat of himself—he who had been called bythe Lord in an extraordinary way (Acts

9:1ff.), instructed by Him in a unique man-ner (Gal 1:17), and even caught up to thethird heaven (2 Cor. 12:2)—then how muchmore should we.

It is a perilous deception to believe thatwe could reach perfection in this life. That isimpossible to achieve; neither by total self-denial and extreme legalism, nor by addingto or subtracting from the clear doctrine ofthe New Testament. As long as we, the re-

Running the RaceToward the GoalA continuing series on the epistle to the Philippians, by various writers forMidnight Call. Part 24. Philippians 3:12-16.

Fredy Peter


deemed children of God, live on this earth,each one of us has to contend with the sin“which so easily besets us” (Hebrews 12:1).We fail again and again and need forgive-ness.

One day when we are with the Lord—byway of the rapture or death—and our mor-tal bodies are changed to immortal ones,only then will we be perfect. “Beloved, noware we the sons of God, and it doth not yetappear what we shall be: but we know that,when he shall appear, we shall be like him;for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).This sincere profession by the greatest mis-sionary of all time should not tempt us togo to the other extreme, however. Namely,to proclaim that “Jesus has attained com-plete victory for me; now all is grace. Hewill bring me to the finish line. I will beperfect then, so I no longer have to exertmyself now…” Someone once said: “Com-placency is the grave of progress.” Weshould pursue the goal of Christlikenessnow and until we are with the Lord. It de-mands a decision: “I don’t want to be satis-fied with my present state. I don’t want to

be at a standstill; I want to attain thegoal!”

Second: to reach the goal requires maximumeffort. Paul puts it this way: “…But I fol-low after, if that I may apprehend that forwhich also I am apprehended of JesusChrist” (Phil 3:12). The amazing freegrace that we were given in no way ex-cludes our total commitment. The apostleeven uses the strong expression, “to chaseafter.” That banishes all thoughts of easeand indifference.

When Paul wrote the letter to the Philip-pians, 30 years had passed since he hadbeen “apprehended by Jesus Christ.” First,to be set free; then, to be called; and finally,to be empowered to proclaim the GoodNews. But the primary purpose of the ap-prehension by Jesus is described by theapostle in Romans 8:29 as follows: “Forwhom he did foreknow, he also did predes-tinate to be conformed to the image of hisSon, that he might be the firstborn amongmany brethren.” Do we understand that sal-vation is not an end in itself, but has a won-derful final goal—for us to become moreand more Christ-like? Do we pursue thisgoal with total commitment? Is it our great-est desire to reflect the image of Christ? Isthat apparent in us?

With passionate effort, however, there isalso a danger of getting sidetracked.Proverbs 19:2 gives this warning: “Whoevermakes haste with his feet misses his way”(ESV). Some things are well intentioned,but still miss the mark. Ardent resolution iseasily mixed with emotional zeal, and trivi-alities can be turned into principal issues.How do we guard against this? By followingPaul’s instruction.

Third: for the race toward the finish, we needgoal-directed concentration. To get the Philip-pians’ full attention, Paul addresses them


Looking back hinders concentration.

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here very personally as “brothers” (this ex-pression includes the sisters): “Brethren, Icount not myself to have apprehended: butthis one thing I do, forgetting those thingswhich are behind, and reaching forth untothose things which are before” (Phil 3:13).For the third time, Paul emphasizes herethat he has not reached perfection, nor hasattained the goal. But he is completely fo-cused on this objective. He is goal-directedtoward “one thing.” He establishes priori-ties and works toward their realization withthe utmost personal engagement.

Paul must have had knowledge of theOlympic Games, for he spent many monthsin Greece. He also stayed three years inEphesus, which had a huge stadium thatcould hold about 100,000 people. Thus, todrive home a spiritual truth, he frequentlyused the example of an athlete, who con-centrates only on his goal (1 Cor 9:24-27; 2Tim 2:5; 4:7-8). Perhaps you have seen re-ports of athletics or bicycle competitions,where the competitor who was viewed asthe certain victor, looked back and lost fo-cus for a second; immediately, the victorywas snatched from him. Looking back hin-ders concentration.

It may be personal disappointments, fail-ures and sins, or specific experiences, bless-ings and victories. This in no way meansforgetting “all his benefits” (Ps 103:2). No,the important thing is that our past—thenegative as well as the positive—must notbe an obstacle in our present or future.

“Reaching forth unto those things whichare before.” This denotes once again the fo-cus and the total dedication of a runner. Inthis connection, it is worthwhile to remem-ber the woman’s Triathlon of the Olympicsin London. After grueling swimming, bicy-cling and running events, a Swedish and

Swiss woman approached the finish line atthe same time. Both had only one goal, thefinish line. They pressed forward, stretchedtheir arms—and Nicola Spirig finally wonthe Gold Medal by the tiniest of margins.This kind of effort is what Paul has in mind.We also should strive for the goal with thismindset.

But with all this effort, we can get tiredand discouraged. Is that your experience?To race toward the goal and to reach it, weneed motivation.

Fourth: to press toward the finish line re-quires spiritual motivation: “I press toward themark for the prize of the high calling of Godin Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:14).

What is this prize of the high calling?– It is unspeakable glory.– It is the completion of our salvation.– It is redemption in its fullness.– It is perfect fellowship with our beloved

Lord.– It is life in His presence.– Or, as John tells it: “Beloved, now are

we the sons of God, and it doth not yet ap-

But with all this effort, we can get tired and discouraged. Is that your experience?To race toward the goal and to reach it, we need motivation.



pear what we shall be: but we know that,when he shall appear, we shall be like him,for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).

The near-expectation of the Rapture issuch a great motivator for a life that is fo-cused on Him, because one day we will re-ceive a reward. Many Bible referencesconfirm this wonderful truth (1 Cor 9:24-25; 2 Tim 4:8; James 1:12; 1 Pet 5:4). Is thatnot a strong motivation to race toward thegoal, consistently and fully engaged?

Fifth: the race to the goal requires God’s help:“Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, bethus minded: and if in any thing ye be other-wise minded, God shall reveal even thisunto you” (Phil 3:15). Differences of opin-ion, among believers of varying spiritual ma-turity, should not hinder anyone frompursuing the goal. If there are obstacles inour life, the Lord will reveal them to us. Godhas many ways to accomplish this: He doesit through the power of His Word in ser-mons or personal Bible study; He worksthrough Christian brothers and sisters; Hemay also allow difficult times and tempta-tions into our life. These are God’s means toaid us in our race to the goal; a specialdemonstration of His love. Yet we, during

those moments, usually do not perceivethem as such (see Heb 12:4-11). We shouldalso consider that the word “mature” or“perfect” has several interrelated meanings.An interpreter once wrote: “Most frequentlythe meaning is not perfection in an abstractphilosophical sense, but rather a functionalperfection, namely that someone or some-thing is suitable for a specific purpose.”

Now what does that signify? A 15-month-old baby that says only “Da-Da-Da” is ma-ture according to its age. However, onecould not say the same of a 15-year-old boywho utters the same sounds. In this sense, aChristian who has followed the Lord for twoyears can be more mature than one who hasdone it for 20 years! Let us examine our-selves: Where do we stand? Are we spiritu-ally age appropriate?

Sixth: the race to the goal also requires thatwe have the same mindset: “Nevertheless,whereto we have already attained, let uswalk by the same rule, let us mind the samething” (Phil 3:16). Here Paul once againraises the same important issue as in chap-ter 2: being of one mind! Markers on theracetrack aid the runners in keeping to theirspecified lane. Lane markers also indicatethe direction of a course. A common mind-set and common orientation are of thegreatest help and value in the race towardthe goal. Someone once summarized it thisway: “We do not gain the winner’s prize ifwe remain seated at the edge of the stadium,if we dream of it or make appropriate com-ments about it. We have to ‘chase’ after thegoal by exerting our utmost effort.”

(MR0118/923)

A 15-month-old baby that says only “Da-Da-Da” is mature according to its age.However, one could not say the same of a 15-year-old boy who utters the samesounds. In this sense, a Christian who has followed the Lord for two years can bemore mature than one who has done it for 20 years! Let us examine ourselves: Wheredo we stand? Are we spiritually age appropriate?

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In today’s society, we can recognize many paral-lels to the days of Noah and Lot. For example,everything seems to revolve around food. Some

trend researchers even believe that food culture isincreasingly becoming a substitute religion. Mosttelevision programs at any time of day will beabout eating. In addition, more and more newfood trends are pushing into society and the mar-

ket, and have quite a few followers: low carb, veg-etarianism, veganism, fruitarianism, pescatarian-ism, Paleo diet (stone-age nutrition), etc., etc.Supermarkets adjust to it and diligently expandtheir offerings. “Clean eating” is increasingly per-ceived as a symbol of a perfect life, and a healthyand beautiful body as the key to it, reports thenewsletter TOPIC.

Are We Living Again in theDays of Noah and Lot?“And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they

drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,

and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they

drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom

it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when

the Son of man is revealed” (Luke 17:26-30).

Trend researchers believe that food culture isincreasingly becoming a substitute religion.

NORBERT LIETH


“The link between food and identity is not new initself. It has tended to grow even stronger. Especiallyin Western Europe where the Christian religion isbecoming less relevant but people are still lookingfor stability and meaning, food can serve as a substi-tute. Food can act as a common denominator withinsocial groups. It can also be used as a means to dif-ferentiate from other groups. Vegans and meateaters are good examples of this trend.” (ChristineSchäffer of the GDI Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute onthe European Food Trends Report 2017: https://newsroom.nagel-group.com/categories/food-nutrition/european-food-trends-231017.html)

We are showered with health tips, life hacks, cap-sules, and herbs meant to be good for anything andeverything. It would be completely impossible tofollow every piece of advice.

The same applies to food crops: GMO vs. organicfarming is constantly debated. The consumer is usu-ally stuck in the middle, not knowing what to be-lieve.

Every great prophetic event casts its shadow. Theintroductory Bible passage is connected with Israeland the Second Coming of Jesus, as well as withevents that happen before; namely, the great Tribula-tion. The time before the onset of the Tribulation ischaracterized by spiritual carelessness: man haspushed God out of his mind, and instead tries to fillhis senses with “mindlessness.” We want to live andsurvive, but only on our own terms. We want to befree, and don’t realize that the new trends are beingdictated to us. Cookbooks and nutrition counselorsare becoming a bible.

We marry, and don’t bother to ask what God’sWord has to say about it. The laws are beingchanged, and everything is allowable in the wake ofgender mainstreaming. Only those who point outthe dangers are criticized. They are intolerant, theyare excluded, and they are at the bare minimumlaughed at or branded as dangerous religious funda-mentalists.

When we read the stories of Noah and Lot, werecognize our time in it. People feel comfortable intheir achieved goals and changes; they are proud oftheir culture and wealth. This applies to both Israeland the entire world. The possibility that God’sWord could be true and come true has long sincebeen put aside.

It was the same in the days of Noah: they did notrecognize the signs “until the flood came, and tookthem all away” (Matt 24:39). It will be the samewith the return of Christ. The Day of the Lord willcome suddenly and unexpectedly…

– “As a thief in the night” (1 Thess 5:2);– Like a snare (Lk 21:35, a woven trap for game

in which unsuspecting animals are caught);– Like labor to a pregnant woman: “For when

they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden de-struction cometh upon them, as travail upon awoman with child; and they shall not escape” (1Thess 5:3).

William MacDonald wrote, “There will be an airof confidence and security in the world. Then God’sjudgment will suddenly begin to descend with vastdestructive force. Destruction does not mean loss ofbeing, or annihilation; it means loss of well-being,or ruin as far as the purpose of one’s existence isconcerned. It will be as inevitable and unavoidableas labor pains upon a pregnant woman. From thisjudgment there will be no escape for unbelievers.”

In all environmental awareness, we must also beaware that the world did not perish from environ-mental pollution in the days of Noah or Lot, but be-cause of pollution of the soul by sin, which mangave way to more and more.

Christians are called to pray, to exhort, and toproclaim the Word of God, whether in or out of sea-son (2 Tim 4:2). Our task is to reach out to our fel-low human beings, who are mostly ignorant, inlove with the gospel. We should take every oppor-tunity to do it—not to judge them, but to savethem. (MR0418/924)

We must also be aware that the world did not perish from environmental pollution inthe days of Noah or Lot, but because of pollution of the soul by sin, which man gaveway to more and more.

Are We Living Again in the Days of Noah and Lot?

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French doctors were startled when they discovered the reason why a man was suffering from severe

stomach pain. Doctors were amazed when they took an X-ray, because they discovered an

enormously dense mass in the patient’s stomach that weighed 12 pounds. The mass was so heavy

that it forced the man’s stomach down between his hips. Doctors were able to remove the badly

damaged stomach and its contents, yet (sadly) the patient died from complications.

GorgingOurselvesDr. Ron J. Bigalke


The doctors were astonished bywhat they found inside theman’s stomach, because it was

not a cancerous tumor. The 62-yearold man swallowed approximately350 coins ($650 worth), in addition tovarious necklaces and needles. Doctorsconcluded that the patient sufferedfrom a rare condition known as pica,which is a compulsion to swallow itemsthat are not typically consumed asfood.1

When reading such a report, mostpeople would conclude that the manwas insane. As the editor of the NewEngland Journal of Medicine remarked,when the details of the Frenchman’scase were presented, the patient was ob-viously “mentally impaired.” Certainly,young children need to be cautionedthat swallowing coins is dangerous, yetone can safely assume that no one read-ing this article is tempted to swallowcoins, especially $650 worth. We can bethankful that pica is a rare condition.

Nevertheless, we could ask ourselveswhether we have ever gorged ourselveswith things that are dangerous, such asthe tendency to consider material pos-sessions and physical comfort as moreimportant than spiritual values (i.e.materialism). The pursuit of money,possessions, and power as a primarygoal of human existence is not onlyspiritually hazardous, but also it resultsin despair.

The intent of Ecclesiastes 6 is to initi-ate pause for examining our lives. Arewe sacrificing much time from our fam-ily and God because we crave wealth(and the influence, power, and prestige

associated with it)? Are you losing nec-essary rest for the sake of your work orother responsibilities? Are you workingtoo much for earthly, material gain?

Ecclesiastes 5:10-20 already dis-cussed the misuse of money, and how tohave a proper perspective. Riches(money) are a primary theme of bothOld and New Testaments. God initiallycreated wealth as a component of Hiscreation, over which humanity wasgiven dominion (Gen 1:26). The do-minion mandate remained after human-ity’s Fall into sin (Gen 3; 9:1-3), yet singreatly tainted the process. Money,therefore, is addressed in sixteen of thethirty-eight parables of Christ Jesus,and wealth is addressed more times inthe New Testament than references toheaven and hell combined. Money isaddressed five times more than prayer,and while more than five hundredverses mention faith and prayer, thereare greater than two thousand versesthat address money and possessions.

Why is there such an emphasis uponmoney in Scripture? The answer is, “forwhere your treasure is, there your heartwill be also” (Matt 6:21). The Bible re-veals that how a person uses money andpossessions may be the single greatestevidence of his or her spirituality orlack thereof. Ecclesiastes 6 demon-strates that meaning, in that life is notobtained in ease or the abundance ofthings.

Ready for EternityScripture challenges our assumptionsconcerning wealth. Ecclesiastes 6:1-2describe a person that has wealth, yet

Gorging Ourselves

We could ask ourselves whether we have ever gorged ourselves with things that aredangerous, such as the tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfortas more important than spiritual values (i.e. materialism).

no capacity to enjoy it. Most people be-lieve that it would be wonderful to havemuch wealth and the prestige associ-ated with it; however, “riches andwealth and honor” are “an evil” whenthey cannot be enjoyed (vv. 1-2). Whena person has success, yet does not rec-ognize “God has given” it, that individ-ual is unable to be appreciative (v. 2).This results in a painful observance byothers and an even more sorrowful ex-perience for oneself (vv. 3-6). Successcan never truly satisfy, when one doesnot know how to enjoy it because he orshe does not recognize the “goodthings” from the Lord God.

Someone who is poor yet wise, andwho is satisfied by that which his or hereyes can see, is “better than what thesoul desires” (i.e. the one whose soul isnever satisfied) (vv. 7-9). Scripture ex-horts us to celebrate and enjoy life as aprecious gift from God (v. 10). Human

beings can never change or disputewhat the Lord God has ordained (vv.10-11).

God created Adam and Eve, and thusHe knows everything there is to knowconcerning all humanity. Moreover, theLord created Adam and Eve to enjoyeach other. They were supposed to cul-tivate the Garden of Eden, and to pro-duce something through the work oftheir hands. Genesis 2:9a reveals, “Outof the ground the LORD God caused togrow every tree that is pleasant to thesight and good for food.” God createdhumanity to glorify Him, which is byenjoying life and by delighting in theLord forever.

True and abiding happiness can onlybe found in an authentic relationshipwith the Lord God. However, all mannerof troubles arise by craving things inde-pendent of Him. When fallen humanity(whether believer or unbeliever) imag-

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Why is there such an emphasis upon money in Scripture? The answer is, “for where yourtreasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt 6:21).


ines what is satisfying, true happinessis never obtained. To find authenticsatisfaction means living a life of self-denial; not as an impossible ideal, butas a practical necessity. Jesus said, “‘Ifanyone wishes to come after Me, hemust deny himself, and take up hiscross daily and follow Me” (Luke9:23). Self-denial is not merely the out-look believers adopt in the conversionexperience; it is the posture and pur-suit of the entire Christian life.

Sin is fundamentally an expressionof discontent with the Lord God (andin that sense can be related to the firstsin in the Garden). As opposed to re-ceiving and rejoicing in God as theparamount gift, fallen humanity fool-ishly pursues contentment in createdthings (cf. Rom 1:18-25). When theLord Jesus returns for His church to“bring us to God” (1 Pet 3:18), to agreat extent He will even be saving be-lievers from themselves. Similar to achild playing with matches, an addictwith his or her dependencies, or a

wealthy person satiated with greed,fallen humanity does not know how todeny self. Sinners continue to gorgethemselves on things imagined to sat-isfy, yet which only make life worse.Unsurprisingly, the Lord Jesus said—without any uncertainty—to anyonewho would even consider followingHim, “he must deny himself.”

God created human life for enjoy-ment; not so that people could tem-porarily hoard that which is ephemeral(cf. Matt 24:35; 1 Cor 7:31; 2 Pet 3:10;1 John 2:17). Happiness can never beobtained with material things, which isan unalterable truth because one “can-not dispute with him who is stronger”(Eccl 6:10). Whether one is—foolishor wise, poor or wealthy, young orolder—the name “man” [humanity]has already been given, and thus it isimpossible for the created to “dispute”with the Creator.

Materialism is a form of secularism(a way of life and thought concernedonly with the world, and opposed tothinking in terms of what is sacred orspiritual) that has even influencedpeople who do not explicitly reject sa-cred or spiritual matters. Materialismexpresses itself in people’s livesthrough an insatiable desire for bodilycomforts and worldly pleasures, andtypically is focused upon money, pos-sessions, and things of the momentrather than spiritual values. Material-ism is the inevitable consequence ofthe failure to love God more than any-thing else. For this reason, Jesus cau-tioned, “‘For what does it profit a man

Gorging Ourselves

Sin is fundamentally an expression of discontent with the Lord God (and in that sensecan be related to the first sin in the Garden). As opposed to receiving and rejoicing inGod as the paramount gift, fallen humanity foolishly pursues contentment in createdthings (cf. Rom 1:18-25).

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to gain the whole world, and forfeit hissoul?” (Mark 8:36; cf. 1 John 2:15-17).

People who are solely dependentupon possessions—in addition to merelyhuman material, philosophical, and sci-entific interpretations of realities—havemade reason their god, and such depen-dency can only lead to damnation andruin (cf. Ps 14:1). Scripture dismissesworldly wisdom (and materialism as itscorollary) as futile and meaningless(Eccl 1:12-18; 2:1-11, 17-26; 1 Cor 2:6-8; James 3:13-18). A person who lovesthe Lord God and affirms the authorita-tive revelation of the Bible, does notperceive any contradiction betweenphilosophical or scientific truths andbiblical truths, because God’s truth is alltruth (John 1:3-9, 14; 8:32; 14:6; 1 John1:5-6). God is the foundation of knowl-edge and wisdom, and thus genuine in-telligence and understanding will leadto the Lord and His holy, inspiredWord.

Society consists of those who believein God and those who do not; yet it isincumbent for all people to live to-gether peacefully. Religion provides eth-ical and social values that affect peoplein their private and public lives, andthus constitutes a basis for responsibleliving. The Bible exhorts Christianswho encounter materialism and secu-larism to be “the salt of the earth” and“the light of the world” (Matt 5:13-15),which is to “‘Let your light shine beforemen in such a way that they may seeyour good words, and glorify your Fa-ther who is in heaven” (v. 16). Authen-tic, effective, and practical Christianity isproven by one’s manner of living, whichis not to be materialistic or secular;

rather, the believer is to demonstratelove for both God and one’s neighbor(Matt 22:37-40).

Ecclesiastes 6 concludes with tworhetorical questions: (1) asking, “whoknows what is good” for his or her life;and, (2) what will occur on earth whenthey are gone? The queries demonstratehuman ignorance, and thus the answeris obviously “no one.” The simple truth,according to the Bible, is that no oneknows what is best in this vain life ofshadows (v. 12). All that is known withcertainty is that those who know God asLord and Savior will experience absolutepeace in His presence (Luke 16:19-31).

Compared to God’s existence, the livesof human beings are “like a shadow.”When they reach an end, one certainlyhopes to impart an enduring legacy; yetthere are no guarantees, for all is subjectto God’s sovereignty. The exclusivechoice is to be happy or miserable by rec-ognizing that “many words...increase fu-tility” (Eccl 6:11). God reveals that Hehas created everything, and thus (ulti-mately) only He can make a personhappy. Foolishness would be to thinkthat happiness is derived from things.Therefore, in the will of God, be certainto make the most of today’s blessings andopportunities, and then you will be readyfor eternity. (927)

ENDNOTE1 Associated Press, “Hundreds of Coins Found in

French Patient’s Belly” [article online] [NBC News,

updated 18 February 2004, accessed 19 April

2018] available from

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/4304525/ns/health-

health_care/t/hundreds-coins-foundin-french-

patients-belly).

God reveals that He has created everything, and thus (ultimately) only He can make aperson happy. Foolishness would be to think that happiness is derived from things.

28 M I D N I G H T C A L L Visit midnightcall.com

U S A

The Google Future andArtificial IntelligenceIt came as a total surprise: themost impressive demonstration atGoogle’s I/O conference was aphone call to book a haircut. Ofcourse, this was a phone call witha difference. It wasn’t made by ahuman, but by the Google Assis-tant, which did an uncannily goodjob of asking the right questions,pausing in the right places, andeven throwing in the odd“mmhmm” for realism.

The crowd was shocked, but themost impressive thing was that the

person on the receiving end of the call didn’tseem to suspect they were talking to an AI.It’s a huge technological achievement forGoogle, but it also opens up a Pandora’s boxof ethical and social challenges.

Mark Riedl, an associate professor of AI atGeorgia Tech with a specialism in computernarratives, told The Verge that he thoughtGoogle’s Assistant would probably work “rea-sonably well,” but only in formulaic situations.“Handling out-of-context language dialogue isa really hard problem,” Riedl told The Verge.“But there are also a lot of tricks to disguisewhen the AI doesn’t understand or to bring theconversation back on track.”

One of Google’s demos showed perfectlyhow these tricks work. The AI was able tonavigate a series of misunderstandings, butdid so by rephrasing and repeating questions.This sort of thing is common for computerprograms designed to talk to humans. Snip-pets of their conversation seem to show realintelligence, but when you analyze what’s be-

ing said, they’re revealed as preprogrammedgambits.

Joanna Bryson, an associate professor atthe University of Bath who studies AI ethics,told The Verge that Google has on obviousobligation to disclose this information. If robotscan freely pose as humans the scope for mis-chief is incredible; ranging from scam calls toautomated hoaxes. Imagine getting a panickedphone call from someone saying there was ashooting nearby. You ask them some ques-tions, they answer—enough to convince youthey’re real—and then hang up, saying theygot the wrong number. Would you be worried?

But Bryson says letting companies managethis themselves won’t be enough, and there willneed to be new laws introduced to protect thepublic. “Unless we regulate it, some companyin a less conspicuous position than Google willtake advantage of this technology,” saysBryson. “Google may do the right thing but noteveryone is going to.”

There are no obvious answers to thesequestions, but as Bryson points out, Google isat least doing the world a service by bringingattention to this technology. It’s not the onlycompany developing these services, and it cer-tainly won’t be the only one to use them. “It’s ahuge deal that they’re showcasing it,” saysBryson. “It’s important that they keep doingdemos and videos so people can see this stuff

is happening [...] What we really need is an in-formed citizenry.”

In other words, we need to have a conver-sation about all this, before the robots startdoing the talking for us.

-www.theverge.com, 9 May 2018

Commentary:We have insisted for decadesthat technology will have the upper hand.Right now, we are dependent, for example,on electricity. Think of what would happenif electricity went out globally. The worldwould literally come to a standstill. Therewould be no communication and no trans-portation.

How powerful a computer is, one canexperience at an international airport. Youmay show your passport to the official; helooks at the information and compares thephotograph, but that’s not the final author-ity. It has to be scanned by a computer, andonly if that manmade instrument says yes,you may proceed; otherwise you won’t.

One of the latest questions is, can manproduce life? The answer is no. But there isone item, manmade, which the Biblespecifically emphasizes: “And he hadpower to give life unto the image of thebeast, that the image of the beast shouldboth speak, and cause that as many aswould not worship the image of the beastshould be killed” (Revelation 13:15). Is this

artificial intelligence,or is it more? Obvi-ously, it is diaboli-cally inspired.

6765(See Revelation 13: Satan’s

Last Victory, Item #1067,

$11.95.)

Photo by Amelia HolowatyKrales / The Verge

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E U

UK Gets Most Cash forImmigrantsThe EU has given Britain moremoney from a migration manage-ment fund than any other memberstate, most of which it then uses toeject failed asylum seekers.

Despite Italy and Greece having re-ceived the vast majority of arrivals

over the years, with Germany settling someone million plus asylum-seekers, the UK stillmanaged to secure a far bigger chunk fromthe EU purse.

Out of the total, some €2.39 billion is usedto finance member state national programs. Ofthat, the UK obtained 16.3 percent, followedby Italy (13.6), France (11.6) and Greece(11.3). Germany got around 9 percent.

Money under the asylum, migration and in-tegration fund (AMIF) is allocated to EU statesusing a distribution formula based on thenumber of asylum claims, the number of non-EU residents, and the number of returns ef-fected during the three preceding years.

The British focus on returns also appearsto neglect other funding priorities under theAMIF fund like the support for legal migration,integration of refugees, and making sure na-tional asylum systems are working properly.

According to the European Commission,over 493,000 people were told to leave in2016 but only around 45 percent actually left.

Despite the cash doled out to the UK,Britain’s return rate stood at 58 percent in2016, down from 76 percent in 2014.

-euobserver.com, 25 January 2018

Commentary: Europe is the number onedestination for refugees and immigrants,legal or illegal. A high standard of living,healthcare and education are all but guar-anteed.

There is more: Europe has done some-thing extraordinary and incomparable inhistory. European nations went all aroundthe globe, creating colonies—mostly byforce of weapons—and virtually subdu-ing all continents: Asia, Africa, Americaand Australia. But then came the end ofthe colonial period. Next, as expected,came war: World War I and II. Interest-ingly enough, the return of the Jews tothe land of Israel followed. But what hap-pened thereafter is unprecedented; thevarious European nations, which hadfought each other for millennia, suddenlywere seen sitting at the table negotiating.As it stands today, Europe is the mostsuccessful, peaceful and secure continenton earth.

With Brexit, Britain will still be subjectto European laws and regulations, since thebulk of British exports go to the EU. But,for the first time, Britain will no longerhave a vote. Most political, as well as eco-nomic and financial experts agree that withBritain’s exit, little will change. Britain be-longs to Europe and will be a part of the de-

velopment as far asglobalism is con-cerned. Here we re-peat: merchandise isking, and merchan-dise will win out.

6769(See Global Financial Apoc-

alypse Prophesied, Item

#1068, $14.95.)

The UK is spending some 60 percent of itsEU money on returns (Photo: Valentina Pop)

I S R A E L

Cheaper Health Insurance for VegansClal Insurance is offering dis-counts on health insuranceplans for vegans, announced fi-nance company Lavi, which isspearheading a wider vegan-friendly initiative.

The company has established aVegans Pay Less (VPL) initiative,

developing specific life and health insur-ance plans for vegans, which include asignificant discount.

“Many studies reinforce the claim thata vegan lifestyle is healthier, prolongs lifeexpectancy and contributes to health andthe environment,” Lavi said in a press re-lease, referencing studies that have foundthat vegans are less likely to contract dis-eases such as hypertension, less likely todevelop all cancers and less likely to suf-fer from diabetes.

-www.jpost.com, 4 February 2018

Commentary: Here we are reminded ofDaniel, who asked for a vegetarian diet:“Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, tendays; and let them give us pulse to eat,and water to drink” (Daniel 1:12). TheTenakh reads, “Please test your servantsfor ten days, giving us legumes to eatand water to drink.” The literal transla-tion says, “Please, test your servants tendays. And let vegetables be given to usthat we may eat and water that we maydrink.” 6763(See Daniel’s Prophecies Made Easy, Item #1057,

$12.)

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Lavi is spearheading a vegan-friendlyinitiative. (photo credit: LAVI)

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C H I N A

Why Can’t They MakeSemiconductors?Semiconductors are the buildingblocks of electronics, found ineverything from flip phones to theservers that make up a supercom-puter.

Although China long ago mastered theart of making products with semicon-

ductors produced elsewhere (the iPhone is themost famous example), it wants to move be-yond being a mere assembler. It aspires to beingan originator of products and ideas, especially incutting-edge industries such as autonomouscars. For that, it needs its own semiconductors.

That’s no small challenge. China is currentlythe world’s biggest chip market, but it manufac-tures only 16 percent of the semiconductors ituses domestically. It imports about $200 billionworth annually—a value exceeding its oil im-ports. To cultivate a domestic industry, the gov-ernment has slashed taxes for chip makers andplans to invest as much as $32 billion to be-come a world leader in design and manufactur-ing. Yet as history shows, spending won’t beenough.

But perhaps the biggest long-term challengefor China is technology acquisition. Though thegovernment would like to develop an industryfrom the ground up, its best efforts are still oneor two generations behind the U.S. A logical so-lution would be to buy technology from Ameri-can companies or form partnerships with them.

Yet it's efforts to purchase American semi-conductor companies (often at huge premiums)are regularly blocked for security reasons. Chinahas made $34 billion in bids for U.S. semicon-ductor companies alone since 2015, yet com-pleted only $4.4 billion in deals globally in thatspan.

-www.bloomberg.com, 29 April 2018

Commentary: Has China reached its zenith?The extensive Bloomberg report seems toindicate that. However, when one considers

the progress made during the last fewdecades, we must conclude that China willget over this hurdle as well. Recall Japan.Their building of motor vehicles in the1960s was met with mockery and laughter inthe Western world. Such is not the case to-day; the question now is, can the USA equalJapan’s innovation and technology when itcomes to the auto industry?

The article also highlights the need forintegration, which in plain words meansglobalism. There most experts agree: noth-ing will stand in its way. Take Daimler AG(Mercedes), the world’s largest motor vehi-cle producer; only 30.5% of its stocks areowned by Germans (30.9% by other Euro-peans, 22.8% by the US, and 6.8% Kuwait).That indeed is the success of globalism, andit will spread to the farthest corners of theworld. It will produce unity, prosperity, se-curity and, to a certain degree, peace.

While we do not attempt to show the fu-ture, we know from Scripture that at theheight of peace, security, and prosperitycomes judgment. Such was the case inNoah’s time, as well as the time of Sodomand Gomorrah. Luke 17:26-28 documents thefollowing: “And as it was in the days ofNoah, so shall it be also in the days of the Sonof man. They did eat, they drank, they mar-ried wives, they were given in marriage, untilthe day that Noah entered into the ark, and theflood came, and destroyed them all. Likewisealso as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat,they drank, they bought, they sold, theyplanted, they builded.” Doubtless, that was

prosperity galore,but it ended in cata-strophe. The world,under the leadershipof Antichrist, willthen experience thegreatest tribulationever. 6760(See As It Was in the Days of

Noah, Item #2286, $11.99.)

A R G E N T I N A

The Wealthy Hoarding BillionsArgentine entrepreneur WencesCasares has spent the past severalyears persuading Silicon Valleymillionaires and billionaires thatBitcoin is the global currency ofthe future, that they need to buysome, and that he’s the man tosafeguard it. His startup, Xapo, hasbuilt a network of undergroundvaults on five continents, includ-ing one in a decommissionedSwiss military bunker.

Even in the colorful world of crypto thecache is remarkable—amounting to

about 7 percent of the global Bitcoin supply. Itwould mean Xapo, just 4 years old, has more“deposits” than 98 percent of the roughly5,670 banks in the U.S. But as a custodian it’sregulated differently. The Swiss subsidiary isoverseen by the self-regulating Financial Ser-vices Standards Association, which auditsmembers to ensure they comply with anti-money-laundering rules. Xapo serves U.S.customers through a Delaware corporationthat’s registered with the U.S. Treasury De-partment’s Financial Crimes EnforcementNetwork and is licensed in several states.

The first rule of owning Bitcoin is to se-curely keep your private key—the code thatlets you spend your coins. If thieves get it,


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Xapo has a network of undergroundvaults on five continents.Photographer:Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images

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they can loot your holdings in an instant, withno hope of recovery. Putting keys on a deviceconnected to the Internet is both convenientand perilous: Hackers have proven adept atobtaining them from afar.

The most popular alternative is called coldstorage, keeping the key in an offline devicesuch as a thumb drive. But risks remain:Hackers have also proven adept at settingtraps on computers to access cold-storagedevices the moment they’re online. More tra-ditional criminals have committed home inva-sions and kidnappings. Some Bitcoin tycoonshave resorted to hiding their identities, fortify-ing their homes and studying self-defense.

-www.bloomberg.com, 9 May 2018

Commentary: These few excerpts from thefive-page article suffice to show thatmoney, in whatever form, does not givepeace, but in this case fear.

When it comes to real peace, we mustread the words of Jesus in John 14:27:“Peace I leave with you, my peace I giveunto you: not as the world giveth, give Iunto you. Let not your heart be troubled,neither let it be afraid.” Real peace, innerpeace, eternal peace comes when a personsurrenders himself to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Regarding riches, this is what Jameswrites: “Go to now, ye rich men, weep andhowl for your miseries that shall comeupon you. Your riches are corrupted, andyour garments are motheaten. Your goldand silver is cankered; and the rust of them

shall be a witnessagainst you, andshall eat your fleshas it were fire. Yehave heaped trea-sure together for thelast days” (James5:1-3). 6758(See Bankruptcy of Our Na-

tion, Item #2244, $13.99.)

C A N A D A

Prime Minister Apologizesfor Refusing JewishRefugeesOn May 13, 1939 the ocean linerMS St. Louis departed Germanywith 907 German Jews aboard andcrossed the Atlantic Ocean “des-perate for safety and refuge frompersecution,” according to a state-ment from Trudeau’s office.

The passengers however were not al-lowed to disembark at the ship’s first

destination, Cuba, and were subsequently de-nied entry in the United States, and Canada—due to “discriminatory ‘none is too many’immigration policy of the time,” the statementread.

Forced to return to Europe, many of the pas-sengers were sent to concentration camps,and 254 died in the Holocaust.

“When Canada denied asylum to the 907German Jews on board the MS St. Louis, wefailed not only those passengers, but also theirdescendants and community,” Trudeau said ina statement.

The apology “will not bring back those whoperished or repair the lives shattered bytragedy,” the prime minister acknowledged.

“But,” he added, “it is our collective respon-sibility to acknowledge this difficult truth, learnfrom this story, and continue to fight against

anti-Semitism every day, as we give meaningto the solemn vow: ‘Never again.’”

-www.yahoo.com/news, 9 May 2018

Commentary: Although late—to be precise,79 years—Canada’s Prime Minister Trudeauacknowledging “collective responsibility” isto be commended and should be a model formany other countries that likewise discrimi-nated against, persecuted and rejected Jews.

We are reminded here of the instructionMoses gave to his people: “Only take heedto thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lestthou forget the things which thine eyes haveseen, and lest they depart from thy heart allthe days of thy life: but teach them thy sons,and thy sons’ sons” (Deuteronomy 4:9).

6759(See Miracle of Israel, Item #2303, $13.99.)

S W I T Z E R L A N D

Five Robots Replace SevenEmployeesHave seven employees work forthree days or use software robotsinstead? In a pilot project, St.Galler Kantonalbank AG opted forthe second option. The bank is sosatisfied with the test results that itwants to decide on further assign-ments.

“We’ve seen that’s technically feasibleand now we’re exploring whether

other applications are worthwhile, and I’mvery optimistic about that,” Felix Buschor,member of the management board, said in aninterview with Bloomberg. “The assessmentof the potential is in full swing.”

Buschor admits that the use of robots iscausing some employees to worry about theirjobs. “However, as we have always compen-sated efficiency gains through natural fluctua-tion and because we paid close attention toenabling our employees to develop new tech-nologies, the acceptance is high,” he said.

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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau(Right) greets Holocaust survivor NateLeipciger before delivering remarks atthe March of Living 30th anniversarygala in Toronto. (Photo | AP)

Hoarding (continued from page 30)

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St. Galler Kantonalbank is not the only bankcurrently examining the use of new technolo-gies, Christian Voigt, managing director ofNuremberg-based IT consultant Roboyo GmbH,said. He helped the Swiss bank with its test run.

He attributes the banks’ strong interest totime savings and cost reductions. For example,thanks to the use of robots, it is possible toforgo costly and expensive software interfacesfor the communication between two systems,he said. “Sometimes, seven-digit amounts ofmoney are needed for such an interface.”

-www.bloomberg.com, 4 May 2018

Commentary: The goal of any business issimply making more money. And, in thiscase, the idea of five robots replacing sevenemployees at the bank is attractive. Thistype of automation will continue indefi-nitely. Buschor rightly states, “…enablingour employees to develop new technolo-gies.” Where will it lead? Total automation,which also means total control, and that

will ultimately be im-plemented globallyby no one less thanSatan’s masterpiece:Antichrist. 6761

(See How Democracy Will

Elect the Antichrist, Item

#1064, $17.95.)

U S A

Facebook Dodges European Privacy LawFacebook has moved more than1.5 billion users out of reach of Eu-ropean privacy law, despite apromise from Mark Zuckerberg toapply the “spirit” of the legislationglobally.

In a tweak to its terms and conditions,Facebook is shifting the responsibility

for all users outside the US, Canada and theEU from its international HQ in Ireland to itsmain offices in California. It means that thoseusers will now be on a site governed by USlaw rather than Irish law.

The move is due to come into effectshortly before General Data Protection Regu-lation (GDPR) comes into force in Europe.Facebook is liable under GDPR for fines of upto 4% of its global turnover—around$1.6bn—if it breaks the new data protectionrules.

Facebook told Reuters “we apply the sameprivacy protections everywhere, regardlessof whether your agreement is with FacebookInc or Facebook Ireland.” It said the changewas only carried out “because EU law re-quires specific language” in mandated pri-vacy notices, which US law does not.

In a statement to the Guardian, it added:“We have been clear that we are offeringeveryone who uses Facebook the same pri-vacy protections, controls and settings, nomatter where they live. These updates do notchange that.”

Privacy researcher Lukasz Olejnik dis-agreed, noting that the change carried largeramifications for the affected users. “Movingaround one and a half billion users into otherjurisdictions is not a simple copy-and-pasteexercise,” he said.

“This is a major and unprecedentedchange in the data privacy landscape. Thechange will amount to the reduction of pri-vacy guarantees and the rights of users, with

a number of ramifications, notably for con-sent requirements. Users will clearly losesome existing rights, as US standards arelower than those in Europe.”

-theguardian.com, 19 April 2018

Commentary: Much political maneuveringis going on right now to avoid conflict be-tween Facebook and European regulators.

What is self-evident is the need for pri-vacy protection, and there Europe has thestrictest laws in the world; subsequently,sooner or later all nations will be forced toadhere to their law.

The Facebook calamity also reveals thenecessity of global law with the requiredglobal tools for enforcement.

Here we see again confirmed that thenations of the world can no longer operatetotally independently; one is dependent onthe other, until there will be a truly unitedworld, and that under Mr. Antichrist. Wemust add here that these things are not inthe far distant future; the works of the godof this world have been clear from the verybeginning and continue to be more andmore evident during the last days.

About 2,000 years ago, John wrote thiswarning: “Little children, it is the last time:and as ye have heard that antichrist shallcome, even now are there many an-tichrists; whereby we know that it is thelast time” (1 John 2:18). 6751(See Antichrist Rising, Item #2226, $10.99.)

AI Will Help Investment Decisions, ServeClients Better, Pimco CEO Roman Says

Robots (continued from page 31)

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A lit sign at the entrance to Facebook’scorporate headquarters in Menlo Park,California. Photograph: Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images

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What we are witnessing instead is a newGreat Game, a collision of great powers

that are trying to roll back one another’s spheresof influence. Unlike the Great Game of the 19thcentury between the British and the Russian Em-pire that culminated in the fight for dominance

over Afghanistan, today’s Great Game is global,more complex and much more dangerous.

While Russia offers military ruthlessness,China offers a mercantile variant. Unlike theWest, China doesn’t let human rights and the ruleof law get in the way of investments. In late2017, Beijing increased its investment in Ukraine,announcing it as an important building block inits new Silk Road to Europe. The government incorruption-ridden Kiev has already gladly de-clared 2019 to be “the Year of China” in Ukraine.

Or consider the Balkans. You could, as primeminister of a Balkan state, wait endlessly for theEuropean Union to let you enter the club by ad-hering to strict compliance standards and imple-ment its 80,000 pages of required laws. Or you

could turn to Chinese investors, who won’t askfor any such fuss. In 2016, the president ofChina, Xi Jinping, spent three days on a state visitin Serbia. The year before, Germany’s chancellor,Angela Merkel, only stopped there for a fewhours.

State-controlled Chinese com-panies have since bought Serbia’sbiggest steel mill, the Tirana Inter-national Airport in Albania and amajor coal power plant in Roma-nia, and leased part of the harborof Piraeus in Greece, to name but afew of its strategic acquisitions inEurope.

While China does not seem asdriven by aggressive anti-Westernsentiments as Russia does, Beijingand Moscow share the strategicgoal: to reduce Western influenceworldwide. China delivers themoney to bolster new alliances,

while Russia delivers the politi-cal poison to weaken the oldones. It’s a perfect match.

Mr. Putin knows that Euro-peans deeply distrust theirgovernments on questions ofwar and peace, especially af-ter several of them relied ontwisted intelligence to justifythe Iraq war.

There is no doubt that theinternational community hasviolated its own standards attimes, conducting legallyquestionable or outright illegalactions in Kosovo, Iraq and

Syria. Russia and China are doing the opposite:using their power as permanent members of theUnited Nations Security Council to block justiceand to undermine the West.

-www.nytimes.com, 26 April 2018

Commentary: These few excerpts fromJochen Bittner’s article, “Who Will Win theNew Great Game?,” identify, with rela-tively clear facts, that war is not an option,but dominance is. Thus, the question: willRussia and China upstage the Europeanworld? Very unlikely, because Rome (Eu-rope and the West) is clearly identified inthe prophetic writings as the last Gentilesuperpower. In the end, they will win thegame, monopolize and dominate. That willbe achieved by a super genius, who canbring these diametrically opposed philoso-phies into an agreeable position: Antichrist.

6768(See Who Is the Antichrist? Item #2254, $13.99.)

L

WO R L D

Winner of the Next Great Global GameTo claim we are living through a new Cold War is both an understate-ment and a category mistake. The 20th-century face-off between theCommunist East and the Capitalist West was, ideology aside, abouttwo superpowers trying to contain each other. The global conflict oftoday is far less static.

People celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year inLviv, Ukraine, in February. Beijing has increased its in-vestment in Ukraine and considers the country animportant building block in its new Silk Road to Eu-rope. Credit Mykola Tys/European Pressphoto Agency

Visitmidnightcall.com/sw

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More Prophecy-Related NEWS 5 Times a Week

Edmon de Haro

Many have asked, what is wis-dom? Psalm 111:10 answers:“The fear of the Lord is the be-

ginning of wisdom: a good understand-ing have all they that do hiscommandments: his praise endureth forever.”

A recent news article from Israel21chighlights a book by Avi Jorisch titled,Thou Shalt Innovate. Here are some ex-cerpts:

Speaking to ISRAEL21c from his home in

Washington, DC, Jorisch discussed what

led to choosing [these] 15 examples: drip

irrigation, United Hatzalah, Iron Dome, the

Grain Cocoon, the Tabor rooftop solar wa-

ter collector, ReWalk, Alpha Omega’s GPS

for deep brain stimulation, Check Point’s

Firewall-1, PillCam, SpineAssist, the Emer-

gency Bandage, Rebif, cannabis research,

reducing plane-bird collisions, and reviv-

ing an ancient date palm.

“I suddenly realized there is an amaz-

ing story to be told not only about the Is-

raeli technology that Saul Singer and Dan

Senor described, but about what Israel

does with this technology to improve lives

around the globe,” he tells ISRAEL21c.

“Israel is not a nation of saints but it

has been seeking a higher meaning for

3,000 years,” says Jorisch. “We are fulfilling,

in a very powerful way, the call of our

prophets to feed the hungry and help the

needy. Israel’s founding fathers were in-

spired by these teachings and baked it

into the fabric of the society they were

building. That is the essence of modern Is-

rael.”

At the same time, he adds, improving

the world is not an exclusively Jewish

compulsion. He also included Israeli Chris-

tians and Muslims who similarly “believe

we’re partners with God in social justice to

make the world a better place.”

“This book and the ideas expressed in

it have opened my mind to the awe-inspir-

ing place Israel is at its heart and soul,” he

says. “Israel has many extraordinary inno-

vators who are bound together not by reli-

gion, money or stature, but rather by their

desire to save lives and make the world a

better place.”

-www.israel21c.org, 6 March 2018

At this point in time, Israelis desirepeace, prosperity, and security morethan just about any other nation on theplanet.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem towork. Having dealt with its Arab neigh-

“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure,then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, fullof mercy and good fruits, without partiality, andwithout hypocrisy” (James 3:17).

Israel

MIDNIGHT CALL

34 M I D N I G H T C A L L

BY ARNO FROESE

JULY 2018 35

bors several times with weapons of war,peace and security did not follow, al-though prosperity did.

Presently, the greatest threat comesfrom the east: the country of Iran,which has actively participated in thewar supporting Syria’s President Assad.That brought the Iranians closer to theland of Israel. The word “war” is beingrepeatedly used in media reports origi-nating from Israel.

Back to wisdom; the following isfound online under Jewish Nobel laure-ates:

As of 2017, Nobel Prizes have been

awarded to 892 individuals, of whom 201

or 22.5% were Jews, although the total

Jewish population comprises less than

0.2% of the world’s population. This means

the percentage of Jewish Nobel laureates

is at least 112.5 times or 11,250% above

average.

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Jewish_

Nobel_laureates

At least 201 Jews and people of half- or

three-quarters-Jewish ancestry have been

awarded the Nobel Prize, accounting for

23% of all individual recipients worldwide

between 1901 and 2017, and constituting

37% of all US recipients during the same

period.

-www.jinfo.org/Nobel_Prizes.html

These undeniable facts place the Jew ina totally different category from the restof the world. How much Jewish wisdomand knowledge have contributed to abetter world is virtually immeasurable.Yet anti-Semitism (many times camou-flaged as anti-Zionism) is on the riseglobally. Why? We answer: because sal-vation is of the Jews, and for that reasonthe god of this world targets the Jew.Now that Israel is a prosperous and suc-cessful nation, Jewish activity is becom-ing more visible to the world. Theworld’s leaders should learn from ourintroductory verse: “But the wisdomthat is from above is first pure, thenpeaceable, gentle, and easy to be in-treated, full of mercy and good fruits,without partiality, and withouthypocrisy” (James 3:17).

Mail to: Midnight Call Ministries, PO Box 84309, Lexington, SC 29073

r After prayerful consideration, I/we have decided to supportthe project “Action for Israel.”

r monthly r one time $_______

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Israel

MIDNIGHT CALL

MC

BaptismDear Mr. Froese,

I am a senior citizen and am goingon a self-directed sabbatical after I re-tire. I know that I will have the timeto read the Bible and other books andbooklets about the Word of God.

I have a question about baptism. Iknow that baptism is required to joina church. Also, a baby could be bap-tized, in case they should unfortu-nately pass away before theyunderstand about God.

I would like to know if baptismwould help me, a senior citizen, tounderstand the Bible. I will have thetime after I retire, but my goal is tocomprehend what I have read.

Thank you very much for what youcan tell me about baptism.

-R. Rager, MD

Answer: Baptism is an outward act and testi-

mony that the person believes in Jesus

Christ, and as a result, is born again of the

Spirit of God. “Then they that gladly received

his word were baptized: and the same day

there were added unto them about three

thousand souls” (Acts 2:41). Romans 6 gives a

more detailed definition of baptism: “There-

fore we are buried with him by baptism into

death: that like as Christ was raised up from

the dead by the glory of the Father, even so

we also should walk in newness of life. For if

we have been planted together in the like-

ness of his death, we shall be also in the like-

ness of his resurrection” (Romans 6:4-5).

Later, we read in Colossians 2:12: “Buried

with him in baptism, wherein also ye are

risen with him through the faith of the oper-

ation of God, who hath raised him from the

dead.”

Baby baptism is not biblical baptism, be-

cause such a one has no knowledge of sin;

subsequently, no acknowledgement of the

Savior. When people are of age (some earlier,

some later), they are convicted by the Holy

Spirit of their sinful nature, they cry out to

Jesus, and the moment they do that, they are

born again of the Spirit of God. As a result,

they are baptized by immersion according to

Holy Scripture.

Address letters for publication to: Letters to the Editor, Midnight Call, P.O. Box 84309, Lexington, SC

29073. Include full name, address, and daytime phone number. Without name and address, letters will

be discarded unread. All material is subject to editing. Midnight Call assumes all publishing rights on

letters sent to the Editor.

Note: All letters will be answered by the Executive Editor, Arno Froese.

BAPTISM...JOHN A PRIEST?...ETERNAL HELLFIRE

Letters to the Editor


JULY 2018 37 % 1-800-845-2420

John a Priest?Mr. Froese:

Reading my Bible, a ques-tion came to mind: was theapostle John a priest? Aftermuch research, I cannot findany information about this.

-R. Aldrich, TX

Answer: The apostle John—as all

other apostles, and all other believ-

ers—is a priest according to 1 Peter

2:5, 9: “Ye also, as lively stones, are

built up a spiritual house, an holy

priesthood, to offer up spiritual sac-

rifices, acceptable to God by Jesus

Christ... But ye are a chosen genera-

tion, a royal priesthood, an holy na-

tion, a peculiar people; that ye

should show forth the praises of

him who hath called you out of

darkness into his marvellous light.”

Revelation 1:6 reads: “And hath

made us kings and priests unto God

and his Father; to him be glory and

dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

All truly born-again believers are

priests.

Eternal HellfireDear Bro. Arno,

I would appreciate yourBiblical perspective on theenclosed memo on the sub-

ject of “the duration of hell”as it applies to unbelievers.

The article is inconsistentwith the traditional view, butcertainly seems consistentwith the heart of God.

Your prayerful response isimportant to me.

-R. West, NY

Answer: The thought of having a

loved one burn in the lake of fire

forever and ever is incomprehensi-

ble to our mind. The same thing can

be said about heaven; I can’t under-

stand the depths of me being in

heaven forever and ever, because

my mind cannot think beyond time

and space. Thus, some Christians

come to the conclusion that hell is

temporary.

All I can say is what the Bible

says, and there the words are very

clear. When speaking of hell, it uses

the same words, forever and ever, as

those in reference to heaven. I have

no authority to change the words of

our Lord: “Depart from me, ye

cursed, into everlasting fire, pre-

pared for the devil and his angels”

(Matthew 25:41b). Or the repeated

statements of our Lord in Mark 9:

“the fire that never shall be

quenched: Where their worm dieth

not, and the fire is not quenched”

(Mark 9:43b-44).

Hungarian Midnight Call Dear Sir,

As I was reading MidnightCall, I came to the page by Las-zlo Dalnoki. That was thehighlight of my day! My par-ents immigrated from Hun-gary; all my relatives are overthere, whom I have never met;except for a short visit withone cousin, when she was anexchange student here yearsago.

What a joy to read that youare translating Midnight Callarticles into Hungarian. A fewyears ago, the “Herald of HisComing” had their good Chris-tian paper in the Hungarianlanguage; but I no longer see itlisted among other countries.It is sad to know that Hungaryis not receiving the gospel.God bless you for the workyou are doing.

My relatives live in Bu-dapest. Most of them exchangeChristmas cards with me; but Ino longer write them, as theycannot read English, and myHungarian is poor.

I have a question about baptism. I know that baptism isrequired to join a church. Also, a baby could be baptized, incase they should unfortunately pass away before theyunderstand about God. I would like to know if baptismwould help me, a senior citizen, to understand the Bible.

-R. RAGER, MD

Letters to the Editor

If I continue to send monthlysupport, I wish I could be surethat it would go to the work inHungary.

-E. Lieggi, CA

Answer: I am sorry to report that this

dear brother passed away on 28

March 2018.

The Hungarian edition began in

the early 90s. Laszlo and his wife Elis-

abeth operated the Hungarian head-

quarters in Budapest, and the work

was supported by Midnight Call In-

ternational in Switzerland. The maga-

zine Midnight Call as well as News

From Israel, and many books are still

being published and distributed

throughout Hungary.

Based on my recollection, Elisa-

beth was a cultural attaché from the

communist government, able to

travel freely throughout Europe.

There she got hold of the German-

language (original) book In the Be-

ginning Was the End, authored by our

late founder Dr. Wim Malgo. That

book was available free for distribu-

tion. Elisabeth was interested in mak-

ing some extra money through

selling this book. However, she read

the book, attended several services

at our church in Switzerland, and

found the Lord through the reading

and the hearing of His Word. That

was the beginning of Midnight Call

in Hungary; the work continues to

this day.

New Release?Midnight Call,

I have been a subscriber ofyour magazine, News From Is-rael, and regularly purchasebooks offered.

Recently, I purchased North-ern Storm Rising by RonRhodes, which was offered as a“new” release. I was surprisedto learn from the title page thatthe book was published in2008. Maybe this is a “new” re-lease of the paperback, but cer-tainly to say that it is “new” ismisleading at best.

-R. Lamkin, KY

Answer: When we mark something

“new,” it usually means a new offer by

our ministry, not necessarily a “new

release.”

Our main objective is to present

biblical truths by authors we are fa-

miliar with. Unfortunately, some au-

thors write books for quick release;

such material sometimes becomes

dated, but the biblical message

should always remain the same.

38 M I D N I G H T C A L L

Celebrate 70 Years Israel with Us!In honor of Israel’s 70th birthday, the staff of Midnight Call Ministries has designed a t-shirt appropriate to show your support and love for the nation.

Israel has a future like no other country in the world: “He showeth his word unto Jacob, hisstatutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for hisjudgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD” (Psalm 147:19-20).Yes, God has not dealt so with any nation in the world except Israel. Take advantage of this

opportunity to celebrate 70 years of Israel in their land again.

Three colors available!

Black

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Exp. _______ Phone: ________________________

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$10 each(plus shipping)

❏ Check/Money Order ❏ Credit CardWith credit card ready, call 800-845-2420 Online: midnightcall.com/t-shirts

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7-8 October 2018 Sands Resorts

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Although Paul is called the apostle to the Gentiles, he kept his

Jewish tradition of attending synagogue on the Sabbath.

He used Scripture to show and to prove that Jesus Christ—

who was crucified in Jerusalem, rose the third day from the grave,

and ascended into heaven 40 days later—is the promised Messiah

as documented by Moses, the Psalms and the prophets.

Incidentally, this issue is very important when testifying that Je-

sus is the Savior of the world; we must use Scripture from Genesis

to Revelation.

Then we read the shocking statement: “But the Jews which be-

lieved not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of

the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an

uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them

out to the people” (Acts 17:5).

Preaching the Word of God will always cause controversy. The

Jews were politically active; they had become nationalists, and they

turned the plain gospel Paul preached into a political event,

“These all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is

another king, one Jesus” (verse 7b).

Later, in the same chapter, we read of Paul going to Athens.

Verse 21 makes a remarkable statement, very fitting for our days:

“(For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their

time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing).”

They were watching the news, just as most do today. Yet most of

the content consists of gossip.

Very unfortunately, the Church often follows in the footsteps of

the world in our days. For example: from time to time, I receive

books written by well-respected theologians and Bible scholars. But

upon glancing through such material, one quickly notices that con-

trary to seemingly Biblical titles, the content is political and has vir-

tually no relationship to Holy Scripture. Subsequently, the authors

are often forced to twist the Word of God beyond recognition.

That’s one of the reasons we believe you’d do well to attend

this year’s Atlantic Coast Prophecy Congress. Politics will not be

an issue, but what the Bible says. You will hear about the land of

the Bible, Israel, the Jewish people, and the holy nation: the true

Church of Jesus Christ. Bible scholars, with decades of experi-

ence, will present their messages on why Israel is important and

why all other nations are insignificant, just as it says in Isaiah

40:17: “All nations before him are as nothing; and they are

counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.”

What a glorious book we have! What a privilege to read

about humanity’s past, present and future, as well as that of Is-

rael. We will speak of the future of the Church of Jesus Christ:

our gathering into His presence the moment when the spiritual

temple, consisting of born-again believers, is complete.

Here are highlights from three more messages to be pre-

sented at the Congress:

RON BIGALKEThe Timing of the Lord’s ReturnUnderstanding the biblical timing of the Lord’s return necessi-

tates understanding God’s purposes for Israel as distinct from

the church. Christ’s coming for His church is to be distinguished

from His coming to establish His millennial reign. The Lord’s

coming for His church is imminent by contrast to the signs in

relation to Christ’s second coming to the earth.

WILFRED HAHNMankind’s Last-Days Snares & TrapsChronicles the series of accelerating developments over recent

centuries, that have led to today’s encroaching economic and

financial snares. Was it an accident? The Bible asks: Can there be

a net without a fowler? Most earthdwellers do not see the dan-

gers … perhaps suffering from a Babylon occlusion. What steps

can be taken to live free of the Endtime Money Snare?

“And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbathdays reasoned with them out of the scriptures” (Acts 17:2).

MIDNIGHT CALL

URGENT! Make

ReservationNOW!

JULY 2018 39

2 0 1 8 A T L A N T I C C O A S T P R O P H E C Y C O N G R E S S

2 0 1 8 A T L A N T I C C O A S T P R O P H E C Y C O N G R E S S

ARNO FROESEIsrael’s Threefold Exodus – Part 3This third return will reveal the work of God the Holy Spirit,

which is drawing the Jews from around the globe back to the

land of Israel. Moreover, it is His Spirit which is now complet-

ing the spiritual temple, the Church of Jesus Christ on earth. It

is God the Holy Spirit who will create fruit in Israel: the nation

collectively will one day be saved, “…blindness in part is hap-

pened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

And so all Israel shall be saved…” (Romans 11:25-26).

REGISTER NOWPlease note that you may cancel your registration at any time,

and for any reason, and receive a full refund. However, hotel

reservations are subject to the Sands Resort’s rules and regu-

lations. We urge you to secure your registration and reserva-

tions as soon as possible. The rooms are available first-come,

first-serve. We really would like to see you at this year’s At-

lantic Coast Prophecy Congress.

Arno FroeseIsrael’s Threefold Exodus Part 1

Victor KalisherThe Repentance of the Seventy

Victor KalisherBut Life from the Dead

Jeff KinleyThe Miracle of Israel

Victor KalisherAt 70...So How Do I Look?

Ron BigalkeA Biblical View of Government

Time Sunday, 7 October Monday, 8 October

7:00 am

8:30 am

9:30 am

10:00 am

11:00 am

12:00 pm

2:00 pm

3:00 pm

4:00 pm

7:00 pm

8:00 pm

Registration

Wilfred HahnMankind’s Last-Days Snares & Traps

Jeff KinleyThe End of America?

Lunch (on your own)

Coffee Break (provided)


Wilfred HahnIsrael & Global Financial Signs of the Endtimes

Coffee Break (provided)

Lunch (on your own)

Ron BigalkeThe Timing of the Lord’s Return

Congress Banquet

Jeff KinleyWake the Bride

Questions & Answers


CONGRESS SCHEDULE

Break/Dinner (on your own) Break

Jeff Kinley is on a lifelong mission to empower peo-ple with God’s vintage, lifechanging truth. The authorof 31 books, Jeff served as youth pastor and seniorpastor for over three decades in churches rangingfrom small community congregations to mega-churchsize. Jeff is known as a “discerner of the times,” andhas been described as a “rising voice in the world of

Bible Prophecy.” He delivers a unique communication style that con-nects with this generation, engaging them with biblical truth in a posi-tive, practical way. He is a graduate of the University of Arkansas (BA)and Dallas Theological Seminary (ThM). Jeff and wife Beverly have beenmarried for 35 years and have 3 grown sons. His website isjeffkinley.com

Ron Bigalke is the Georgia State Minister with CapitolCommission, and missionary with Biblical MinistriesWorldwide. Dr. Bigalke has more than twenty years ofexperience in numerous discipleship and evangelisticministries. He is a frequent contributor to and editorfor various publications through Eternal Ministries.His church and leadership experience includes confer-

ence speaking, pastoral ministry, pulpit ministry, and youth ministry. Dr. Bigalke is an ordained minister, and serves as a research associatewith the University of Pretoria (missions and ethics project). He and hiswife Kristin have two children.

Victor Kalisher is Director of The Bible Society in Is-rael and elder of a local messianic congregation inJerusalem. He was born in Jerusalem in 1964. His par-ents are Jews who came to Israel following the Holo-caust, and with the establishment of the state ofIsrael in 1948. Both came to saving faith in Yeshua theMessiah shortly after and became one of the first

Messianic families in Israel.Victor Kalisher has been leading the work of The Bible Society in Is-

rael for the last 10 years, after 18 years of working at a leading high-techcompany and 6 years of service in the Israeli Navy as an officer. He ismarried to Esther and together they have 4 girls: Roni, Naomi, Odeyaand Gili.

Wilfred Hahn comes from Canada. He is known for hiswritings and insights on present-day world economicand money trends, viewed from a Biblical perspective.He has global investment industry experience span-ning three decades, having held various executive po-sitions from Director of Research for a major WallStreet firm, to Chairman of Canada’s largest global in-

vestment group.

Arno Froese is the executive director of Midnight CallMinistries U.S.A. and editor-in-chief of the critically-acclaimed prophetic magazines Midnight Call andNews from Israel. He has authored a number of well-received books, and has sponsored many prophecyconferences in the U.S., Canada and Israel.

MEET THE SPEAKERS

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Registration by phone:(800) 845-2420 or (803) 755-0733 Web: midnightcall.com/acpc2018

MC0718 HOTEL RESERVATIONMail to: Group Sales Dept., Sands Resorts, PO Box 2998, Myrtle Beach, SC 29578Reservations: (800) 599-9872 or Fax (843) 449-1652 Please mention Atlantic Coast Prophecy Congress when calling.

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Midnight Call’s July Resource Guide

Don’t have time to read a big manual? Get your answers fast to tough questions.Quick Answers to Tough Questions gives you quick and concise answers to the tough questions thatare often posed to believers regarding:• Creation and evolution • Age of the earth and Noah’s Ark • Death and suffering • Origin of life and missing links.

QUICK ANSWERS TO TOUGH QUESTIONS ITEM #2329 • 88 pgs. • Paperback

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THE 10 MINUTE BIBLE JOURNEY ITEM #2330 • 208 pgs. • Hardcover

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If you were asked how you know the Bible is true,do you have an answer?

Volume 2:• Who made God; where did God come from?• Has Noah’s ark been found? • Hasn’t Bible text been changed over the years?• Is Hell real?• Did the ten plagues of Egypt really happen?

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The Key to RevivalRevival will take place in our

lives, families, churches and the world when we pray

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PRAYER AND REVIVAL ITEM #1002 224 pgs. • Paperback

$10.99 $5.50Author: Dr. Wim Malgo

Powerful Daily DevotionalSpiritual Strength for Each Day serves as a guideline for believers who seek a deeper andcloser relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord. This book is intended to remind the readerthroughout the year that life as we know it is temporary and the ultimate goal of our livesshould be to prepare for eternity…desiring to hear the words from our Lord. “Well donethou good and faithful servant…enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”

SPIRITUAL STRENGTH FOR EACH DAY ITEM #1062400 pgs. • Hardcover

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The Simple Messageof Salvation

This small book contains a hugemessage about salvation in Jesus

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CALLED TO PRAYITEM #1032 • 144 pgs.Paperback

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When God IsSilent...Have you ever felt that, becauseyour prayers were notimmediately answered, God wasdisregarding you?

You are about to enter thelives of many great men of Godwho made requests of the Lord,petitions God chose to deny forHis reasons, His purpose, andultimately His glory.

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Secret Mysteries of America’s Beginnings Volume One – The New AtlantisItem #7075 • 120 min.

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Secret Mysteries of America’s Beginnings Volume Two – Riddles In Stone: Secret Architecture of Washington, D.C.Item #7076 • 170 min.

$29.99 Sale $20The greatest “Whodunit” of the past500 years! Secret Mysteries takes themystery out of America’s history. IfAmerica was founded as a Christiannation, why are many of its symbols,buildings, and monuments based onPagan traditions? There is no doubt thatmuch of America’s national heritagewas Christian, but just as a coin has twosides, our national heritage has asecond side—one based squarely onoccultic secret societies and theirvalues.

This video continues our examinationof the true history of America'sfounding. We examine thearchitecture, the paintings, thesculptures and the street layouts ofWashington, D.C. Since so muchcontroversy over the centuries haserupted concerning the roleFreemasons have played in thefounding of America and of ournation’s Capitol, we set up a publicdebate with top-ranking Masonicauthorities on the one hand andindependent researchers on the other.

This high quality History Channeltype documentary proves thefollowing points about the twoSeals on the back of the One DollarBill with clarity and precision: 1) Thetwo Seals are Egyptian andLuciferian 2) The two Seals wereintroduced by Freemasons, in 17823) Masonic President FranklinRoosevelt, aided by his Secretary ofAgriculture/Vice President Wallace,ordered these Seals to be placed onthe back of the Dollar Bill in 1935,having been urged on and advisedby the Russian channeler/ mystic,Nicolas Roerach.

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The Hidden Faith of the Founding Fathersis perhaps the first and only documen-tary to go where no film has ever gonebefore, confronting the little knownbeliefs of America’s founders. Conser-vative Christian leaders often claimthat the revolutionaries were godlymen who were trying to build a Christ-ian nation. But was their faith the truefaith of the Bible? Or is it possible thatthe exact opposite is true? The realquestions are: What did the foundersbelieve about Jesus Christ? Christian-ity begins with faith in the Person ofChrist Himself: what did the foundersthink of Him? What did they think ofthe Gospel? Were they fighting forChristianity, or against it?

Secret Mysteries of America’s Beginnings Volume Four

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What did the founders believe about Jesus Christ?

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Rediscover the Foundational Principles of Our FaithAfter years as believers, we can come to find the Christian life too complicated, our zealdiminished, and our relationship with Jesus grown cold and predictable. Award-winningauthor and respected pastor John MacArthur reminds readers that what's been lost can befound again. This practical tool will help Christians restore the fire and conviction of theirfirst love for Christ by helping them better understand His character, His glory, and His lovefor them. MacArthur counsels all who want more love for Christ to pursue Him by makingChrist their focus each day, in every activity, in every contact, and in every thought.

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Is the Holy Spirit Active in Your Life?Many people look to extraordinary experiences as evidence of the Holy Spirit. But whathappens when the experience ends? How can we be filled with the Spirit every day in theordinary things we do? In never-before-published material taken from A.W. Tozer'ssermons, Alive in the Spirit answers these questions and, in a balanced perspective,explores what the Spirit's involvement in your life should look like. Many talk about beingfilled with the Holy Spirit, but few accept God's conditions. Tozer lays down theserequirements in his trademark bold and wise way. Though every Christian has the Spirit,not every Christian is filled with the Spirit. Knowing the difference will change your life.

ALIVE IN THE SPIRIT ITEM #2325192 pgs. • Paperback

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UNLOCKING THE BIBLE ITEM #2315320 pgs. • Paperback

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A Creative Journey With the MessiahAn Adult Coloring BookEach time you turn the page, you'll find a hand-drawn illustration, a key Hebrewword with its English translation, and Scripture passages. The first Bible text is akey prophecy, followed by its New Testament fulfillment in the Messiah. Togetherthey present a beautiful expression of Bible truths and reassurance of God'sfaithfulness. As you color and create, open your heart to meditate on theseprophecies—and their completion in Jesus. You'll discover the glory of theMessiah anew.

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The Bible does have the answer; its gospel can be defended; and TheHenry Morris Study Bible will be of significant help in this great cause tothose who use it. Its annotations explain the Bible’s difficult passages,resolve its alleged contradictions, point out the evidences of its divine

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Hear, read, and inwardly digest God’s Word in thismagnificent multimedia presentation of the entireBible! Whether you choose to play a single chapter, book, or the complete Old and NewTestaments, you’ll appreciate Alexander Scourby’s expressive word-for-word narrationpaired with synchronized onscreen text displaying every verse. Over 70 hours of word-for-word narration with synchronized on-screen text.

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Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage PaidColumbia, SCPermit No. 185

Ken Ham is the president, CEO, and founderof Answers in Genesis-US, the highlyacclaimed Creation Museum, and the world-renowned Ark Encounter. Ken Ham is one ofthe most in-demand Christian speakers inNorth America.

The culture has changed! Christian values andtraditions, even terms that were once commonknowledge, have become a thing of the past. Many in

today’s important millennial generation say that the typicalSunday morning sermon sounds more like a foreignlanguage than a clear call to salvation.

In this compelling new book, Ken Ham passionatelycommunicates the soul-saving essentials of creationevangelism using two very different sermons from the bookof Acts. Each was designed to reach a different audience—the churched vs. the unchurched, Jew vs. Gentile—toeffectively reach the lost. Gospel Reset is perhaps the moststrategic and timely book on evangelism today. A must-readfor family and church leaders.

• Reveals the social and moral consequences that ourmodern culture’s war on the Bible is having on society.• Provides powerful insights on how to make salvationrelevant to today’s millennial generation.• Illustrations quickly communicate proven ways to exciteand equip church members to evangelize and defend theirfaith.

GOSPEL RESET ITEM #2344128 pgs. • Hardcover

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