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at His coming. But five of them--half of the Church--took their lamps (Bibles)
but
without oil to light the lamps (having the Holy Spirit to enlighten their minds
to UNDERSTAND
the Bible). Some translations render this into English indicating they were
losing
the Holy Spirit, because of negligence, lack of prayer, fellowship with the
brethren
and with God and Christ and being overcome with materialistic and worldly
interest.
Are some of us like that, even now?
While they--the backsliding half of the Church--were trying to get back
closer
to God, the coming of Christ shall take place, and the door into God's Kingdom
will
be SHUT in their faces! WHAT A TERRIBLE AND AWFUL TRAGEDY! It could happen
to you or me.
Brethren, we're living in more terrible, troublous times than you realize.
Today, as a new President is inaugurated in Washington, also comes the
news
that my dear friend, Menachem Begin, Prime Minister of Israel, is being almost
thrust
out of office--his government about to fall. There was to be a reelection in
Israel
in November, when Mr. Begin probably planned to retire anyway, because of
serious
heart trouble. But he has held his government in power only by the narrowest
margin
for the past several days, and now he has announced a new election in July
instead
of November. The last time I saw him, hardly two months ago, we parted with a
bear
hug. However, whoever is elected next prime minister is in all likelihood the
man
I also know well, and we still have many friends at and near the top in Israel.
But
DO NOT FOR A MOMENT GET TO THINKING TIME WILL JUST KEEP GOING ON
AND ON. It won't! Satan knows how short time is. He is now striking at
destroying
THE CHURCH AS A WHOLE. I cannot reveal to you at the moment what Satan is
up to now, BUT IT IS BIG, and we all need to be FASTING AND PRAYING as never
before that God will restrain Satan.
I spoke to the Church at Honolulu on the way to Tokyo this trip. I talked
privately
with the Prime Minister, spoke the Gospel Message to a large banquet attended by
482 prestigious and high-ranking people of the nation in Tokyo, and also to a
group
of a hundred or more Japanese PLAIN TRUTH subscribers on the Sabbath afternoon
we were there.
I have continued writing the full-page announcements for The WALL STREET
JOURNAL while on the trip. Arriving in Manila, I was interviewed at a press
conference