Pat's Paragraphs
July 2016
Dear LLT Friends,
It’s been a crazy couple of weeks in the arena of religious liberty, both here and abroad.
In California, SB 1146 passed both the House and the Assembly, threatening the very existence of Christian higher education in California. According to Alan Reinach, Esq.,
“The ongoing efforts to amend the bill have revealed the underlying goals and motives of bill sponsors: to bludgeon religious colleges into submission. Harsh language, yes, but true. The goal is to force these institutions to abandon their biblical beliefs about marriage and human sexuality, or at least, to abandon their policies and practices rooted in those beliefs as a condition of being allowed to exist.”
On the international scene, Russian President Putin signed into law a measure prohibiting any kind of religious evangelization outside of churches.
The law blocks the sharing of faith in any place that is not a government-sanctioned house of worship. Foreign missionaries will not be allowed to speak at churches unless they have a work permit from Russian authorities. Any kind of discussion about God with non-believers will be punishable by law. Religious activities even in private homes will be illegal. Anyone from the age of 14 found to be preaching will be subject to prosecution, and all citizens are required to report religious activity to the authorities or face punishment themselves.
Freedom of conscience and the right to live according to your beliefs are under attack. But this spirit of intolerance is not new. “The Wandering Day” reveals the same antagonism toward personal liberty clear back in the 1930s. The proponents of Calendar Reform were ready to ride roughshod over the consciences of religious minorities. Like tyrants of ages past, they claimed that any hardship befalling nonconformists would be their own fault.
What shall we do, in times like these?
We need to be alert to what’s happening in the world around us. There are still plenty of opportunities for sharing the truths we love, but this won’t last forever. The enemy is at work, bent on closing doors, hardening hearts, and confusing minds. People need to hear the truth about the true nature of life and death, about the love, mercy, and justice of God. They need to hear the end-time invitation to the Sabbath rest and a restored relationship with their Creator.
Jesus is coming! May God give us voice and opportunities!
Friends, we urgently need your prayers and financial support as we continue to produce and distribute videos like “The Seventh Day” and “Hell and Mr. Fudge.” Our documentary on death, hell, and the hereafter is not yet finished. We cannot move ahead until adequate funds are in hand. We are praying daily for God to impress friends like you to invest in this work. There will be eternal dividends.
Thank you for your prayers and support. We cherish you.
In Christ,
Pat
PS. If you’re attending the ASI Convention in Phoenix, please come by my booth for a visit. #534.