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against eating the fat of certain
farm animals (Lev. 3: 17). T hrough
the thousands of years that have
si nce gone by, a small number who
read this warning believed it. Most
who read it did not.
Today, scientific research into
health and nutriti on has found
physical reasons that t horoughly
justify such a law: a fatty diet con–
tributes to hear t d isease. Studies
also point to a link between a fatty
diet and certain types of cancer, not
to mention other health complica–
tions.
How many unfortunate individu–
als, readers of the Bible, over the
years have died prematurely of
heart disease, cancer or other mala–
dies merely because they did not
believe what they read in their own
Bibles concerning the eating of ani–
mal fat?
And, even more significant , if
nonbelief of that one
physical
law
has led to so muc h needless suffer–
ing, how much more are people
needlessly suffering because they
do not bel ieve the far more impor–
tant spiritual laws in Scripture?
We Are Mortal
One of the most quoted verses in
the New Testament is J ohn 3: 16:
"For God so loved the world, that
he gave his only begot ten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should
not perish, but have everlasting
life" (Authorized Yersion) .
Many have read this verse. But
how many believe it? Taking this
verse exactly as it is written- with–
out trying to force sorne other
meaning into it. The clear message
of this verse is that a person does
not al ready have eternal Iife. He
must bel ieve on the Son to receive
it. And if he does not receive it, he
wi ll
perish.
He will not live on in " hell fi re" or
sorne other place. To perish is just
that- to die, to cease to exist. This
teaching of the apost le John agrees
completely with what the Bible says
in Romans 6:23: " T he wages of si n is
death [not life!] ; but [on the other
hand, in total contrast] the gift of
God is eternallife."
Eterna! life is not something we
naturally have. We were not born
with it.
lt
must be g iven to us. We
are born mortal, needing to put on
immortality ( 1 Cor. 15:53). Those
8
who are dead are asleep in thei r
graves awaiting a resurrection
(Dan. 12:2). "For the livi ng know
that they shall die: but the dead
know not any thing," declares the
scripture (Eccl. 9:5).
That's what the Bible says. Why
then don't most ministers preach it
and most people believe it?
Three Oays and Three Nights
When Jesus was asked to give sorne
kind of sign to prove who he was,
he replied that he would give on ly
one sign: he would spend "three
days and three nights"- no more,
no less- in t he earth (Matt.
12:40).
Who believes Jesus, though?
So rn e have d one cons id erable
mathemat ical gymnastics trying to
squeeze J esus' specification of
three days and three nights into the
Good Friday-Easter Sunday tradi–
t ion, which time frame is a mere
one and one-half days in length.
Unlike many, J esus knew how to
count. He was aware of exactly how
long he was going to be buried.
The biblical record is clear. How
can so many read it withou t believ–
ing it? If you would like to learn
more about what the Biblc really
does say concerning the death and
resurrection of J esus, wri te for a
copy of our eye-opening booklet
The R esurrection Was Not on
Sunday.
It
wi ll surprise you.
Has Time Been Lost?
Many Bible readers have heard that
the Sabbath was made for the
Jews.
That's not what Jesus said! Jesus
proclaimed: " The sabbath was
made for man"- not just the J ews
(Mark 2:27).
lt
was made holy at
the beginning of human history,
2,000 years before the first Jew
walked this earth (Gen. 2: 1-3; Ex.
20:11).
T he Sabbath was i nc l ud ed
among the T en Commandments,
which have been more universally
d iscussed, recited and memorized
than any other code of law. They
have b een feat ured in books,
movies, wall plaques, even
charm bracelets. Millions
have read them at one
time or another, lauded
them, acclaimed them.
Bu t, the fo urth com–
mandment-the o n e
abou t the Sabbath? Few
believe it.
Jesus said he is Lord of
the Sabbath (Mark 2:28).
It
is
his
day-the t rue
" Lord's day." Looking
into the future, far ahead
of h is time, J esus an–
nounced that those who
would be living at the
"end o f the age," j ust
before his Second Com–
ing (Mat t. 24:3), should
still be concerned about
the Sabbath (verse 20).
The Scr iptures foretell
that in the world tomor–
row, when the govern–
ment of God is ruling on earth, the
whole wor ld will worship God
"from one sabbath to another" ( lsa.
66:23) .
The importance of keepi ng the
Sabbath, the seventh day of the
week, is referred to in the Bible
more than 100 times. Yet which
day do most Bi ble readers observe?
Sunday, the first day of the week!
l f you wonder why, write for our
free booklets
Which Day l s the
Christian Sabbath?
and
Has Time
Been Lost?
Whose World ls This?
lt
is often supposed even by readers
of the Bi ble that this is God 's
world, this is his civilization.
The PLAIN TRUTH