By Jeff Wehr

Today we hear about the rising threat of nuclear proliferation, cyber attacks, revolutions in the Middle East, economic instability in Europe and around the world, and the rising new powers of China and India. All these and other changes point to an unpredictable shift that seems to threaten our security. Yet there is greater political freedom around the world. So how is the world more dangerous, yet freer?

It may be that all our efforts to halt aggression, to provide foreign aid, and to open our doors of American education has made the world a better place. But danger still lurks on the horizon, and many people are bracing themselves for some stupendous crisis.

But while the world grows more dangerous, increased freedom around the world has opened doors for evangelism. Take for example the great nation of Russia. There was a time when religion was grossly suppressed. But since the collapse of communism in the former Soviet Union in 1989, we have had tremendous opportunities to spread the Three Angels’ Messages.

The trend of increased freedoms is our opportunity to spread present truth, while the world grows ever more dangerous day after day.

By Jeff Wehr

Ever since the Pilgrims stepped off the Mayflower, religion has played a prominent role in the American culture. During colonial times, religion and politics were quite entangled. But then came the American Revolution of 1776, and the founding of these United States of America.
Our founding fathers were not the Pilgrims. Rather they were men like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. Washington was our first president, Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, and James Madison is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution.”

The first ten amendments to the American Constitution went into effect November 3, 1791. Our First Amendment rights read as follows, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

Even though our Constitution declares a clear separation between church and state, there have always been among us those who are intent on meshing the church and the state. The Tea Party has an overriding concern for smaller government, but many of them are after a godlier government.

It is interesting to watch the Democratic Party becoming more secular, and the Republican Party becoming more and more religious. But there is another growing trend. More and more American young people oppose the idea of religious groups campaigning against specific candidates, and for these religious telling them how to vote.

In 1991, 22% of those surveyed said that they strongly disagreed with religious leaders trying to influence government decisions. By 2008, that figure nearly doubled to 38%. In 2011, 80% of respondents said that it is not proper for religious leaders to tell people how to vote, and 70% said that religion should be kept out of the public debates over social and political issues. It should come as no surprise that the Tea Party, though powerful and influential in American politics, ranks very low with most Americans.

We have in our American culture a growing number of “nones.” These are individuals classified as having no religious affiliation at all. By the mid-1990s, nones made up 12% of the population. By 2011, they were 19%. The highest concentration of nones is between the ages 18-29. In fact, a third of Americans in their early 20s are without religion.

We can attribute some of this trend to the growing immorality and violence on television and in the streets. But it seems that much of it is a reaction to the religious right. To many young people, “religion” means “Republican” and “intolerance.” In 2006, 32% of Americans who belonged to a church reported hearing sermons with political content once, twice, or even several times a month. By 2011, that figure dropped to 19%.
So what does this mean for last-day events? We know that our lawmakers will be pressured to pass religious legislation. To be more specific, they will be pressured to pass a national Sunday law. It would seem that this pressure is likely to come from religious right groups like the Tea Party. So how does the devil bring in all these young people who have a growing distaste for religion, especially the mingling of religion and politics? The Bible says, “And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles.…”Revelation 13:13, 14.

We need to remember that there are two great errors, Sunday sacredness and the immortality of the soul. The trends may indicate that fewer Americans want to see the meshing of church and state, but without the Word of God as their safeguard they are easy game for the devil’s lying wonders which he will use to deceive.

We must do a better job in educating our neighbors and communities about the great subject of the state of the dead before it is too late. As long as people hold to the belief in the immortality of the soul, the personation of the dead will lead them to embrace Sunday legislation.

By Jeff Wehr

Throughout all of Biblical history, from creation until Jesus Christ and His apostles, there was only one day of worship for the people of God. It was without question the seventh-day Sabbath. But today most professed Christians keep a different day—Sunday. So how is it that throughout Biblical history men and women of faith, including Jesus and the early church kept the seventh-day Sabbath, and now most of Christendom keep Sunday?

Is there anything in the Bible that indicates a change in the day of worship? The answer is “Yes.” In Daniel 7:25 we read, “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.” Daniel 7:25

The power described in this verse is the Papacy. It is clearly against God. The Papacy speaks “great words against the most High,” and she wears “out the saints of the most High.” But It also thinks that it has the authority to “change times and laws.” Which “laws” has the Papacy changed? It did away with the second commandment that forbids the worship of idols. See Exodus 20:4-6. And it thought it had the power to change the fourth commandment. “We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church in the council of Laodicea (A.D. 336) transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.” Peter Geiermann, The Convert’s Catechism of the Catholic Doctrine, 50.

There has been a change in the day of worship. It is recorded in the Bible. But it was by a power that is against God. The change in the day of worship was not made by God. So how does God look at those who change His law? Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:17-19.

How does God look at those who keep His commandments? “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Revelation 22:14.
In these last days we have destroyers of God’s law and we have restorers of God’s law. “And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.” Isaiah 58:12.

God is looking for men and women who will be restorers of God’s law. The Sabbath of the Lord has been trampled upon and we are to proclaim the true seventh-day Sabbath in these closing moments of earth’s history. In the end, men and women who now keep Sunday will be enlightened by the truth. They will look for passages to support Sunday, but they will not find any. They must then make a decision. Will they now keep the unpopular seventh-day Sabbath, or join with the world in obeying the commandments of men? They will weep and pray. They will look over those Sabbath passages again in Scripture. They are convinced that the seventh-day is the Sabbath. They know what is right. Now comes the decision to keep or not to keep the Sabbath. Many will take their stand as keepers and restorers of God’s perfect moral law. Imagine the joy that shall be ours for eternity to know that our own faithfulness to God will be the seed sown to bring forth more precious souls for the kingdom of God.

By Jeff Wehr

The following is a prophetic account of Satan’s plan against Sabbathkeepers.

Says the great deceiver: “…The Sabbath is the great question which is to decide the destiny of souls. We must exalt the sabbath of our creating. We have caused it to be accepted by both worldlings and church members; now the church must be led to unite with the world in its support. We must work by signs and wonders to blind their eyes to the truth, and lead them to lay aside reason and the fear of God and follow custom and tradition.

“I will influence popular ministers to turn the attention of their hearers from the commandments of God…. But our principal concern is to silence this sect of Sabbathkeepers. We must excite popular indignation against them. We will enlist great men and worldly-wise men upon our side, and induce those in authority to carry out our purposes. Then the sabbath which I have set up shall be enforced by laws the most severe and exacting. Those who disregard them shall be driven out from the cities and villages, and made to suffer hunger and privation. When once we have the power, we will show what we can do with those who will not swerve from their allegiance to God. . . . Now that we are bringing the Protestant churches and the world into harmony with this right arm of our strength, we will finally have a law to exterminate all who will not submit to our authority. When death shall be made the penalty of violating our sabbath, then many who are now ranked with commandment keepers will come over to our side.

“But before proceeding to these extreme measures, we must . . . ensnare those who honor the true Sabbath. We can separate many from Christ by worldliness, lust, and pride. They may think themselves safe because they believe the truth, but indulgence of appetite or the lower passions, which will confuse judgment and destroy discrimination, will cause their fall.” Ellen G. White, Maranatha, 163

We are all familiar with Revelation 12:17, “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” We are at war. If it were not for God’s faithful commandment-keeping people the devil would claim this world as his own. In his mind, his only hope is to eradicate those who keep the commandments of God. But we must always remember, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. . . Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. . . For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.” 1 John 4:4; Psalm 24:8; Psalm 31:3

By Jeff Wehr

“Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down [and] worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.” Daniel 3:7

As Babylon was the superpower of the ancient, so is America today. As ancient Babylon exalted the false worship of the golden image, so history will be repeated. The decree enforcing Sunday worship will go forth to the entire world. Protestant America will unite with the Papal power to compel all to honor this false Sabbath. Every nation around the globe will follow the lead of the United States.

America has not always possessed the power to cause the whole world to worship the first beast, the Papacy. But she does today. There was a time not so long ago when Catholics and Protestants would not work together, but they are today. We are clearly living in prophetic times.

However, God is never without friends. There have always been faithful men and women who have obeyed God’s commands by His grace. And so it is today. But God’s people today will not face persecution from the Papal power alone. They will also face fierce persecution from the Protestant world.
It is true that those that remain faithful to God will face economic boycott, imprisonment, exile, or death. But eternal life is promised to them. And as God was with the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace, so God with be with us in each and every trial.

In preparation for that time, we must stay true to principle. We cannot allow ourselves to be caught up into any forms of false worship. Any true worship of God will draw us closer to Him. We will learn to love and trust Him more.

By Jeff Wehr

Some believe that the liberal, secular humanist is the greatest threat to religious freedom. Some would teach that terrorist groups like Al-Qaida hold that position. However, it was found in a recent poll that only 17% of Americans know that our religious freedom is protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution. Could ignorance be our greatest threat to religious liberty?

Many of those who are familiar with the First Amendment believe in the “free exercise” of religion, but fail to advocate that there is to be “no establishment” of religion. Here lies much of our challenge. While most are not familiar with the wording of our First Amendment rights, others interpret the First Amendment incorrectly. We have a great work to do in educating the public about our First Amendment rights and the separation of church and state.

By Jeff Wehr

“And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy [it] unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom [is] an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.” Daniel 7:25-27

The little horn power, the Papacy, will regain her lost supremacy. There will be a time of trouble as never before. However, what follows this time of trouble is the second coming of Christ. The kingdoms of this old world will fall, and Christ will usher in His everlasting kingdom, “and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High.”

When we speak about the end of time, we are speaking about the end of this old fallen world as we know it. Is not this a good thing? Indeed it is. Of course, it will finally be destroyed and purified by fire at the end of the millennium. But we have the glorious opportunity to witness last-day events and to participate in the proclamation of the last gospel call to the world.

Tragically, among God’s people, there is a hesitancy to share the present truth for this time. We are to uphold the Sabbath more fully. But we are also to give exposure to the man of sin. The Papal system is the destroyer of God’s law and we are to be the restorers of God’s law. This work will demand our full attention and dedication. So let us not be paralyzed by the fear of end time events. Rather, let us be inspired to take part of the great work yet to be done by the people of God.

By Jeff Wehr

Millions of sports enthusiasts were caught up in what is called “March Madness.” It refers to the collegiate basketball tournament that in the end crowns the National Champion. But it is interesting to note that there is another madness to March. It has been shown that when a person’s basketball team loses they are more likely to make mistakes in their investments. In other words, an individual’s judgment is marred by the simple loss of a basketball game. Imagine how skewed people’s judgment will then be in the end of time when they lose their temporal prosperity. It is not difficult then to see that many will be willing to lose their freedoms in exchange for the hope of financial security.

By Jeff Wehr

“And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred [and] forty [and] four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.” Revelation 7:1-4.

The tornadoes that hit the South and the Midwest were considered in some parts as the worst storms in twenty-four years. According to the National Weather Service, a level 4 tornado hit Indiana with winds as high as 175 mph. Three such tornadoes hit Kentucky with winds of 160 mph.

The physical winds that passed through the South and Midwest are not stronger than the four winds being held in check by the four angels. In the South and Midwest, families and businesses will rebuild. But when the four winds of strife are let loose, there will be no more rebuilding. When probation closes, fallen human passion will be unchecked. God will no doubt protect His people during this time of trouble, but this old world will never be able to rebuild from its devastation. Let us be sure that we do not make this old world our home. The inheritance that God has for His people is a new heaven and a new earth. The important thing right now is to receive the seal of God.

By Jeff Wehr

Just over 22% of all residential properties with a mortgage were in negative equity at the end of the fourth quarter of 2011. When it comes to young adults (ages 18-24) in the US, the employment rate is just barely above half, or 54%, which just happens to be the lowest in 64 years.

Japan’s budget deficit is now 56% larger than government revenues.

German economist Hans-Werner Sinn discovered a gigantic risk on then balance sheets of Germany’s central bank. Were the euro zone to collapse, Bundesbank losses could be half a trillion euros—more than one-and-a-half times the size of the country’s annual budget.

We know that countries like Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal have serious debt problems. It sounds like China’s economy is slowing down. The question is, Can the world climb out of its current debt crisis? We were told that money would suddenly lose its value, and that leaders would try in vain to put things on a solid foundation. Is our current worldwide economic crisis that time spoken about in Inspiration? We need to be prepared spiritually for the coming crisis.