The Real and the Counterfeit

Just imagine the scenes as they are predicted by "Mary". You get up as usually on this particular morning, get yourself ready and drive off to work. When suddenly your car stalls, actually all the cars are stalled, and you seem to be in the middle of a horrific nightmare. Fearful sights of a super natural character are flashing across the sky. In horror you cover you face with your hands, but a brilliant light burns itself into your subconscious and its as if every evil deed you ever did flashes across your mind. In agony you groan, feeling sure you are lost. The lights fade, the sky returns to normal but all around people are wailing and crying. (TJ 310-314)

The three fold warning has begun. The warning is described as a direct intervention from God, when He universally makes every person in the World completely aware of his or her sinfulness. It's compared to the experience of Saul traveling to Damascus, when a light flashed from heaven and a voice asked "Saul, why do you persecute me?" This is followed by a supposedly great outpouring of the Holy Spirit. People will seek to confess their sins and seek consolation. Many will be overcome with grief and guilt, Churches will be overflowing with penitents. Priests will hear confessions round the clock. Radio and TV preachers tell us that this is God's sign that we must repent as a nation and return to God." The combined churches suddenly have great power as people desperately seek relief from their guilt.

As I thought about this scene a quotation from Great Controversy p. 618 came to mind. "Satan has an accurate knowledge of the sins he has tempted God's people to commit, and he presents these in the most exaggerated light. As Satan accuses the people of God on account of their sins, the Lord permits him to try them. Their confidence in God, their faith and firmness, will be severely tested. As they review the past, their hopes sink; for in their whole lives they can see little good. They are fully conscious of their weakness and unworthiness. Satan endeavors to terrify them with the thought that their cases are hopeless and that the stain of their defilement will never be washed away. He hopes so to destroy their faith that they will yield to his temptations and turn from their allegiance to God."

Can you see the deception? This is not a warning to turn you back to God, but an overwhelming trial to try and tear you away from God and sweep you into deception. Basically it's to get you to say, "Look, I can't live up to what God wants anyway so why not go along with he crowd and accept the solutions they offer?"

How can we be ready for this deception? There are basically two things that must be done if we are to stand firm.

FIRST, we must be sure of Christ' forgiveness. Jesus said, "If you confess your sins he is faithful and just to forgive you your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness." With a broken and contrite heart come to Christ in genuine repentance, confess your sins, for He has promised, to be near them that are of a broken heart and saves those who come to Him with a contrite spirit. (1 John 1:9, Ps. 34:18) Isaiah 43:25 give us this assurance, "I even I, am He that blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and will not remember your sins." He will forgive and cast all our sins into the depths of the sea" (Micah 7:19)

Most of us have heard the story of Martin Luther who was accused by the devil of being too sinful to have eternal life. The devil had a long piece of paper on which were written all Luther's sins. Luther recognized these sins as his, but then he noticed the devil kept on part of the paper covered. Luther asked him to move his hand. After some arguing he did, and there written at the top of the paper were the words, "Forgiven by the blood of Christ."

SECOND we must be sure that there are no sins being cherished and hung onto in our lives. I'm not talking about weaknesses, we will always have to surrender ourselves to God, and ask for his strength to help us resist our weaknesses, what I'm talking about is sins that we feel we have a right to, or a need, to hang on to. Sin that we are not totally willing to give up.

The Bible tells us in Hosea 8:2,1 That to them that say "God we know you, then go and break His laws, and set up worldly gods, hiding sin in their hearts and enjoying the paths of unrighteousness— to these the day of the Lord is darkness and not light, even very dark and no brightness in it (Amos 5:20) And Hebrews 10:26-27 says, that if we continue to sin willfully after we are convicted of truth.

Great Controversy page 620 states: "If the people of God have unconfessed, cherished sins in their lives, they will be overwhelmed, despair will cut off their faith and they will not have confidence to plead with God for deliverance."

I don't want to be overwhelmed and give up in despair when that day comes. Oh, how important it is to have that vital saving relationship with Christ in which all our sins are repented of, confessed and forsaken and our lives fully submitted to Christ. Then we can have assurance, knowing that our sins are forgiven by the blood of Christ and that He is working in us to lead us on to victory. (Heb.10:22) "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."

WHAT does Mary have to offer at this point? According to the messages, people will not have a conscience that is cleansed by God's forgiveness and abiding presence, they will be loaded with terrible guilt. "Mary" will be promising relief if they consecrate themselves to her, confess their sins to the pries and pray the rosary.

Another sign will follow shortly, known as the miracle of the Sun. Millions will undoubtedly journey to Garabanal. They will travel there because they have supposedly been prepared to accept this miracle with faith which is to bring healing , conversion and comfort. The first part of the warning will send multitudes to that remote Spanish mountain village. The sun is to spin in the sky and hurtle toward the earth, in more spectacular fashion then it did int Fatima in 1917.

Finally comes the last part of the warning. Once again you notice it's getting dark outside, even though it's still in the middle of the day. The earth begins to shake. Trees crash to the ground. The whole world is in turmoil. People think the world is ending. In terror, with guilt nearly crushing them. People rush outside in confusion. There , in the sky, the cross appears and from the wounds in the hands and the feet of Jesus will come forth great lights which will lighten up the earth for a period of time. The message goes to the people that Christ is full of mercy, all their sins will be forgiven if they repent of the materialistic, independent was and submit to the authority of the church and listen to Mary, the mother of God , who is heavens special messenger to guide the world back to God.

As the scene fads , religious fervor reaches an all time high. People flock to confessional and mass. Preachers wax eloquent as they tell of the great chastisement that will come. "God has warned us," they will say, "No one can deny that God has spoken. He is calling us back into the safety of His church. He has also warned us that he will purify the earth through terrible natural and supernatural catastrophes if people do not respond. The occurrences, extent and consequences of these catastrophes are dependant upon the prayers and conversion of the people."

Can you see where we are now in this story? Protestants and Catholics unite under the guidance of spiritualism. They see in this movement a grand conversion of the whole world. The pressure is on. The whole world must now be converted to reduce the chastisement that has been predicted.

Page 314-320 of the book "The Thunder of Justice" have given us an insight into that which the enemy of truth has in store to deceive Christianity. He uses the very symbols of Christianity to deceive them! We have discussed the warning which is to prepare people to "hear God at Garabandal, where His people will be gathered once again, under the protective covering of the Shekinah Glory" to witness the miracle of the sun dance.

Following this we've discussed the sign, which if "not accepted, chastisement will follow." "The sky will become very, very dark. The earth will shake. The whole world will be in turmoil. . .You will see the Cross in the sky. . .I will hang there patiently I will give them the time they need." Only by world wide repentance will the chastisement be held back.

The only problem is— the conversion is to Mary and Catholism. Says "Mary": "Pray very much the prayers of the rosary. I alone am able still to save you from calamities which approach. Those who place their confidence in me will be saved." (148) "Mary predicts a terrible crises if her requests are not sufficiently carried out."

And what are God's people doing at this time? Great Controversy page 612 tells us "The servants of God, with their faces lighted up and shining with holy consecration, will be hurrying from place to place to proclaim the (true) message from heaven. By thousands of voices, all over the earth, the (true) warning will be given. Miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, and signs and wonders will follow the believers. Satan will also be working with lying wonders. Thus the inhabitants of the earth will be brought to take their stand. Many will see the truth clearly. Notwithstanding the agencies combined against the truth a large number take their stand upon the Lord's side."

Wow!! It's going to be quite some time to be alive. No boring, life as usual here. Miracles, and signs from God and from satan. People preaching with great zeal on both sides. Everyone is brought to a decision.. Everyone must make a decision. There will be no fence sitters after these events. Will we take our stand on what the Bible says or will be on the popular side.

God's people will be upholding the 10 commandments which forbids the worship of anyone other than God. To the great groundswell of voices urging that people must return to worship God on Sunday, they will be pointing out that Sunday was never blessed, sanctified or set aside as holy by God, but that the Seventh-day Sabbath was (Gen 2:2,3 Ex. 20:11). To those that say, any day is O.K. and since the churches uphold both Sunday and unity we should keep Sunday, God's people will point to Luke 23:56 and explain that Luke was a Gentile Christian, writing the story of Christ's crucifixion thirty years after the event took place. Yet, Luke says, they rested the Sabbath day according to the commandments, then early the next morning on the 1st day they went to the tomb. Everyone knows that Christ rose on the 1st day, Easter Sunday. Luke, a Gentile Christian, writing 30 years after the crucifixion said the SABBATH ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT WAS THE DAY BEFORE SUNDAY.

While Adventists are telling everyone that the Sabbath is the sign of the true follower of Christ, using texts like Ezekiel 21:12,20 Exodus 31:13,16,17) Mary has her counterfeit sign ready. Mary's messages state that the sign is the cross. (p. 329) After misquoting Ezekiel 9:2-5 "Go all through the city, and mark a cross on the foreheads of all who deplore and disapprove of all the filth practice in it.. . .kill and exterminate them all but do not touch anyone with a cross on his forehead." and Rev. 14:9 she states, "All my children will receive and carry the sign of the cross on their foreheads, I am signing with my motherly seal, all those who consecrate themselves to my motherly heart."

Not only does she define the sign as the cross, but the mark of the beast is said to be placed on all who oppose this great movement, supposedly directed by heaven to convert the whole world.

Wow!! How will we handle that one? Think of the implications here. Revelation 13:14 says: "He deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast that was wounded by the sword but now lives." We've heard that text before, but did we imagine that the sign the devil would use to lead mankind into disregarding God's commandments would be the cross? And those that refuse to bow in homage to this beastly power who has set himself above God's law, will be accused of denying Christ and His sacrifice?

Can anyone see now why we are so concerned about the things being brought into Christianity? Why we keep warning about the great deceptions of the new theology people are pushing? The whole groundwork to receiving this grand last day deception are being laid right in the Protestant churches and those that agree with it will be swept under the papal power in the last days whether they now think they will stand against it or not. Who can resist the cross? But what if another power uses the cross to undermine God's commandments? Do we understand that the cross establishes the commandments and shows that they are still God's rule of authority?

Satan is a diligent Bible student. He tries to take truth and counterfeit it to deceive the VERY ELECT (this means he will get as close to truth as possible while still trying to deceive us into eternal damnation). Knowing that his time is short he will work all manner of miracles to try and destroy our faith. It is impossible to give any idea of the experience of the people of God who will be alive when all this takes place. The question we must ask ourselves and settle in our minds is this "IS THE CROSS THE SIGN OF BEING A CHRISTIAN?" The answer is NO. The cross is not the sign of being a Christian. The death of Christ on the cross is the foundation of Christianity but it is not the sign. There is a big difference here. Christ' death on the cross is the cornerstone of our faith. In Christ is built all our hope, faith, strength, and victories. The fact that Christ died for us gives us assurance and anchors our soul in Him. But it is not the sign that we are Christians. THE SIGN HAS TO BE SOMETHING THAT SHOWS THAT WE ARE ANCHORED IN CHRIST WHO DIED ON THE CROSS FOR US.

1 John 2:3-5 tells us plainly what the sign is: "By this, we will know if we know God (or this is the sign that shows if we know God) if we keep His commandments, anyone who says, "Yes, I know Jesus Christ, but does not keep His commandments, is a liar, there is no truth in him. But the person who obeys God's word, truly God's love is perfected in Him. This is how we know that we are in Him." That's plain language. THE SIGN THAT WE ARE IN CHRIST IS THE FACT THAT WE OBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS.

It is absolutely essential that we build our faith on the foundation of Jesus, and His marvelous sacrifice on Calvary, its' essential that we comprehend His great love for us, it's essential that we spend much time getting to know him and contemplating the scenes of the cross. But the sign that proves that we have built our faith securely in Christ is our obedience to His commands.

The Bible consistently insists that God will judge us by our works (Rev. 20:12,13) not because works will save us, not because works add up merits or browny points. In fact, works without Christ are imperfect and meaningless. Yet works show how we relate ourselves to God, whether we are walking with Christ or walking on our own, doing our own thing.

Well, so far we have covered only the warning part of "Mary's" message. Next comes the event called the miracle. (Chapter 19 in the book "Thunder of Justice) Almost a year has passed since the warning began and the movement to convert the whole world began. Eight days before it is to happen an announcement goes out to the world.

"Mary" declares: "I am the woman clothed with the sun (of Rev. 12) This miracle invites you to look to me as to the great sign which appears in Heaven. I am a great sign of battle between me and my adversary, between the woman and the dragon, between my army and the army guided by the enemy of God. You are entering into the decisive times of the battle. You are preparing to live through the most difficult hours and the greatest of sufferings. It is necessary that ll of you come as quickly as possible to form part of my army. For this, I again invite my children to consecrate themselves to my Immaculate Heart and to entrust themselves to me. . .The miracle is for the conversion of the whole world."

"The miracle will be Eucharistic. . .The miracle will be Marian. It will assert the glory of the Mother of God, so that all Christians will give up their objections to her role in the Body of Christ and pay her the honor that God Himself gives her."

"Once the miracle happens, the human race must change or face the most terrible catastrophe the world has ever seen: the punishment. Unless the people heed the message of the miracle, the punishment will surely come. There will be no escape from it. The miracle will have set the fuse. Unless we extinguish its burning by repentance, the punishment will come. . . .(326)

(p. 305) The most painful, most bloody hours are in preparation for you. These times are closer than you think."

The date of the miracle converges with some great ecclesiastical event, thousands will converge at the designated site. Together they celebrate Eucharist. This miracle will be another grand display in the sky. Then Mary, portrayed as the woman in Revelation 12 appears. She is clothed with the sun, the moon at her feet and is pictured as fighting the dragon. She invites all to consecrate themselves to her Immaculate heart. At her side Jesus will appear to show how closely the hearts of Jesus and Mary are united. Then a large object, that no one will be able to explain by scientific analysis will land in a grove of pine trees and remain as a permanent sign of the miracle.

The miracle will tell the world that truth is in the Catholic Church and all men and women are called not only to follow Christ and Mary, but also enter His church and submit to it's discipline, teaching and sacraments. Once this miracle happens, Mary has indicated that it would be the last sign of mercy. The human race must convert or face terrible catastrophe. Unless people heed the message and repent of their arrogant independence from the church, punishment will surely come.

The fuse is lit. ,

What does Great Controversy have to say about things so far in our story?

GC.588 The line of distinction between professed Christians and the ungodly is now hardly distinguishable. Church members love what the world loves and are ready to join with them, and Satan determines to unite them in one body and thus strengthen his cause by sweeping all into the ranks of spiritualism. Papists, who boast of miracles as a certain sign of the true church, will be readily deceived by this wonder-working power; and Protestants, having cast away the shield of truth, will also be deluded. Papists, Protestants, and worldlings will alike accept the form of godliness without the power, and they will see in this union a grand movement for the conversion of the world and the ushering in of the long-expected millennium. . . And then the great deceiver will persuade men that those who serve God are causing these evils. The class that have provoked the displeasure of Heaven will charge all their troubles upon those whose obedience to God's commandments is a perpetual reproof to transgressors. It will be declared that men are offending God by the violation of the Sunday Sabbath; that this sin has brought calamities which will not cease until Sunday observance shall be strictly enforced.

The warnings and the miracles will cause great confusion and consternation among the people.

The miracle will tell the world that truth is in the Catholic Church (which also must be purified) and all men and women are called not only to follow Christ and Mary, but also enter His church and submit to it's discipline, teaching and sacraments.

Mary declares: "This is the moment for all to take refuge in me, because I am the Ark of the New Covenant. At the time of Noah, immediately before the flood, those whom the Lord had destined to survive His terrible chastisement entered into the Ark. I am inviting all to enter intot he Ark of the new Covenant, which I have built in my Immaculate Heart for you, that they may be assisted by me to carry the bloody burden of the great trial."

Oh how much better are the promises in the Bible— Psalms 91: He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord HE IS MY REFUGE AND MY FORTRESS; MY GOD IN HIM WILL I TRUST. Surely He shall deliver me from the snare . . .He shall cover me with his feathers and under his wings shall I trust. HIS TRUTH SHALL BE MY SHIELD AND BUCKLER!

The deceptive miracle of Mary in the sky is not the end, for Revelation 13:13 "He makes fire to come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men." will also be fulfilled. (p. 13) "A chastisement worse than the flood is about to come upon this poor and perverted humanity. Fire will descend from Heaven and this will be the sign that the justice of God has as of now fixed the hour of His great manifestation, I am weeping because the Church is continuing along the road of division, apostasy and error is being spread more and more without anyone offering opposition to them."

Yes, the fuse will be lit in more ways than one. Religious laws will get tighter and tighter. Persecution will begin in earnest. And then the big manifestion of fire. Some of the visionaries, speaking for "mary" say this might be an asteroid, or a series of asteroids, hitting the earth with all the devastating after effects. The first is to arrive in the United States but the whole world will be involved. Along with fire, there will be tidal waves, world wide famine (nothing will grow) changing atmosphere, darkness, earthquakes.

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