Dear Associates, Students and Friends:
One of the most powerful promises ever given to a disgruntled and disillusioned person in the Holy Scriptures was to the prophet Jeremiah. It was provided to him not long after the prophet had boldly and unequivocally called God a liar in not coming to his aid when Jeremiah thought he desperately needed God’s intervention in his life (Jeremiah 15:15-21). Besides the promise given in Jeremiah 15:20,21 (after Jeremiah repented of his accusation), God finally responded with His clarion call of divine providence for His care of Jeremiah. He then assured Jeremiah with an awesome promise: "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not" (Jeremiah 33:3). And for us, note the number of the chapter and verse – it is so easy to remember: Jeremiah 33:3. Of course, the promise was given only to Jeremiah at a time of his great anguish and downheartedness, but it can also apply to you in a very personal way. The apostle Paul countered any academic misconception that we might have by his inspired statement in First Corinthians 10:11 and 13: "Now all these things happened unto them [such as Jeremiah] for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world [eons] are come….but God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted [put to trial in this world system] above that ye are able; but will with the trial make a way of escape that ye may be able to bear it." The real fact is, God and Christ love each of you intimately.
Why am I giving you these encouraging promises at this moment in time? It is because the more that common sense begins to prevail in the world (which we all know to be of prime importance), we find the ugly heads of hate, greed, pride, retaliation and downright belligerence coming to the fore to replace the normal avenues of persuasion that can lead to peace and security in the world. This is decisively seen and acknowledged (as we all recognize) in Israel and Palestine, and most especially in Jerusalem (the so-called "City of Peace"). While all our secular leaders are endeavoring to apply the rules and procedures of common sense to all negotiations in the Middle East in order to bring stability into the area, it must be admitted that they have profoundly lost their touch by failing to comprehend the central problem in the furor. That factor is not only a part and parcel of the difficulty, it is the essential problem itself. And what is this cardinal factor? It is simply RELIGION.
The negotiators, so it seems, are avoiding in their discussions the very principle that prominently needs attention (which is an immediate and complete overhaul of primitive and erroneous religious beliefs). RELIGION is the key to it all. It is the medieval, tribal and erroneous religious concepts and beliefs that are still governing the so-called modern and up-to-date civilizations that are clashing in the Middle East. The truth is, the "modern" beliefs that are fueling the conflicts are those that were devised in the Dark Ages and that are being perpetuated today by religious leaders and authorities that ought to know better. In actual fact, the false teachings that are exciting the populations in the Middle East should have been jettisoned from our contemporary belief systems decades ago. But here we are (in this present "modernistic age" – so we state) attempting to solve religious problems inaugurated in the Dark Ages of religious development with secular advice that thoroughly misunderstands those elementary and tribal religious dictates that inspire the belligerence in the first place.
What needs to be done is to plainly demonstrate to the world (and to the present people fighting in the Middle East – as well as to ourselves in other parts of the earth) that basic Christian beliefs inherited since the fourth century, basic Muslim beliefs inherited since the seventh and eleventh centuries, and basic Jewish beliefs inherited from the twelfth and sixteenth centuries need to be overthrown completely and replaced with original teachings of the Holy Scriptures that all people can easily understand. Our Christian world (of which I am a part) is as guilty of accepting nonsensical geographical opinions in Jerusalem as our Muslim and Jewish friends (who also engage with alacrity in believing such errors to their own hurt). When the world realizes that it is our false religious ideas and procedures (pure and unadulterated Dark Age superstitions) that are causing the problems of wars and hostilities (and that they need to be abolished from any civilized and rational theology) that we will begin to see peace emerge in the Middle East and in other parts of the world. The religious insanity we have inherited from the past is not the only difficulty, but it is the ESSENTIAL one.
The prophet Jeremiah saw the same problem afflicting the people of the world in his day and the environment in which he lived was a distressing one. And even though God came to Jeremiah with divine strength and spiritual help to buttress the personal faith of Jeremiah, the whole of civilization of the 6th century B.C. came tumbling down upon the world because of their false deeds just as Jeremiah said it would. As for us, we need the same type of encouragement and security as did Jeremiah, but what we have to inform the world in an encouraging way will soon become true and relevant. Believe me (if we simply read and accept the teachings of the Holy Scriptures), a genuine repentance and turn for the better is prophesied to occur in Jerusalem. True, God has NOT told us WHEN the events He describes in Zechariah 12:10 onward have their precise fulfillment on the calendar. What each of us must do is to remain patient and steadfast in our faith in God and Christ Jesus. We could be the very ones to witness the spirit of compassion and supplication upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem that is prophesied. What we need to do is to continue informing the people of the world what God states will prophetically occur that will usher in the time that the Bible calls the End of the Age. We at ASK are doing our part in serving the world to comprehend the truths of the biblical revelation (with the help of all you who consistently support us with your economic help and your enthusiasm).
We are assured that God is watching over us with His keen eye and that Christ is equally concerned about our daily and life-long needs. Remember, even the hairs of your head are numbered and that is not a frivolous analogy that Christ has given us (Matthew 10:30). He means that we are intimately within His immediate concern and His embrace on a minute to minute basis. You do NOT have to call on angels to help you (as my main articles in the present series on Angels denote – nor should we ever do such), but you can go directly to the Father through Christ because you are sitting (legally and lovingly) on a throne in Christ that is directly right of the throne of God that governs the entirety of the universe. They may send angels or even humans to aid you, but your trust and mine should only be in the power and authority of God the Father and Christ Jesus (I Timothy 2:4-6). So, since you are sitting on the right hand of God (Ephesians 2:6), turn your head to the left (so to speak) and tell the Father directly what YOU personally need as we approach the period called the End-Time. He indicates in Scripture that He will not disappoint you. Call unto Him as did Jeremiah and He will show you great and mighty things that you do not know. I believe this to be a fact. Never give up on God. He has planned all things from the beginning of everything, and nothing is outside His divine plan (Acts 15:18). No human (or humans) and no angel (or angels – even Satan) can disturb His personal plan for us.
Speaking about teaching the Gospel, for the people in the United States, the Pax TV Network has scheduled November 10th for a show devoted to explaining certain biblical and historical matters concerning the Ark of the Covenant. The Grizzly Adams Production Company asked me last month if they could come to my office and record for television some major segments for that show. On October 4th, the crew arrived and I was filmed for four solid hours dealing with the Ark, but also with many questions concerning the Star of Bethlehem, and numerous other biblical questions to be aired in December and other later dates. You can check your local TV Guide pages for the showing of the various programs on the Pax Network. I consider all of these things to be a part of teaching the Gospel to the world. I would have liked to explain far more about the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy [Covering] Seat that contained the two Cherubim, but these were short segments. I plan some major sections of my book on the angels to expose such things in detail that I could not do on an abridged TV program. Even you are going to be amazed at the difference (and I mean MAJOR difference) between the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat that contained the two Cherubs. Those artifacts were two dissimilar pieces of furniture though they are often thought to be a single item. Only when the biblical student realizes the vast difference between the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat will the true teaching of the Ark and the Mercy Seat become known. At times in history (as the Bible shows), the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat (with the two Cherubim) were separate from one another. Most people today erroneously think that the Cherubim were ALWAYS associated with the Ark of the Covenant. This is NOT true! It is time to understand the difference between those two separate and distinct pieces of furniture in the Tabernacle in the time of Moses. Indeed, they were very different in the period of Solomon.
And now for some contemporary news. For all of you who are able to access the Internet, you should always take a look at (and click onto) our "ASK COMMENTARY" icon that flashes on our home page. I am in the habit of adding new material on that section of the Web Page every two or three weeks that is independent of my advertised Newsletter or Doctrinal (Prophetic) Report. This way I can keep you up-to-date on breaking news and comment on what is happening as soon as the news occurs. I plan to change this section of the Web Page as frequently as I feel it is necessary to keep you informed of news that relates to the fulfillment of prophecy. So, always click into the "ASK COMMENTARY" section periodically. We are getting "hits" (as they are called — that is, people tuning into our Web Site to read the material that we have posted) from all over the world. Our site is very active and I can assure you that there are people reading our material on the Internet at any hour of the day or night. It is just that popular. And remember, our Internet presence is a FREE service to anyone. We do not require any passwords or any other impediments to read or to copy (for personal use) any of the scores of articles that we have downloaded. This is what we call (in modern church terms) "our missionary effort." We get E-Mails and letters from all over the world thanking us for the information that we have on the Internet (and it is FREE to all). Of course, it is you who have your hearts in the work of A.S.K. who provide the needed funds to provide this service to all without cost to them. I believe that God and Christ Jesus will bless you abundantly who help us with your encouragement and support.
Finally, I want to express my personal appreciation to those of you who display your gratefulness in learning the biblical truths that I publish each month by faithfully sending ASK your financial support (and believe me, I work hard and long hours to produce the material). You are those cheerful givers that God spoke about that He loves with all His heart (II Corinthians 9:7). These offerings that you give at the present make it possible for me to continue my research in an up-to-date manner. We provide marvelous and informative truths that are being revealed and published (and there is NO OTHER SOURCE where you can receive so much truth of the Holy Scriptures) and we need your help to sustain this outreach. Your support not only enhances your personal knowledge, but it is a means to spread the Gospel to all in the world whom God may call. It simply means that you are sharing your resources that others in the world (as well as ourselves) may gain the essential truths of God. It all comes down to this: The degree that we share is the degree that we care. Thank you from my heart for your free-will response to my request for support. My prayers include that God will shower His blessings upon you. Hang in there dear brothers and sisters. We are on the verge of seeing some "great and mighty things."
Ernest L. Martin
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