The end of all things is upon us

The End is near. Pack your bags. We're going Home. The Second Coming of Jesus Christ is closer than you think.

The End of the Adventist Movement as We Know it. A Warning

Reinvent the Adventist church, not just the youth ministry. If we don't there will be no future for the Adventist church in North America, Europe and other similar congregations. That is something we literally cannot afford to let happen.

50 years have come and gone. A once apparently timeless chuch had a clear future in site. What historical or cultural event took place at the start of the 1960s that altered the socio-economic forces of contemporary society? Can it be counteracted realistically or what adaptations can be set in place to thrive in such a culture? Did the seeds of this history-altering force originate even earlier in another decade?

Specifically, what can we do to ensure that the Youth, a demographic group that is essential to ensure the survival of any religious or sociological movement or body, become an integral part of both the church's present and future existence?

The events or forces I am referring to can be found in news media and history books of both the 1950s and the 1960s. The solutions to the problem at hand is not so evident.

We can perhaps study the ways other organizations or movements have employed to guarantee both their survival and their success. That is, of course, no guarantee that the methods used by others will work in solving the problem at hand.

Surviving at any cost sometimes does more harm than good. History is full of cases where a movement or organization has changed so much that its founders would mistake it for another entity altogether?

How important is it that any movement or social entity be true to its founding ideals? Is success at any cost always appropriate for every group or movement?

In the case of an organization, company or philosophical movement adaptation at an price could be justified. In the case of the religious movement at hand that might not be wise.

History is rife with examples of groups or movements that have survived and have caused more harm than good. More importantly, sometimes the dogged survival of a movement or entity has prevented the formation of natural mutations or developments that would have done much good had they been given a chance to develop.

Sometimes selfishness and pride are at the heart of the persistence of a good thing whose time has come and gone.

Finally, if the religious entity being considered presently exists because God meant for it to exist then it will thrive if he wills it to continue existing in whatever form or stage that it is meant to exist.

How You Know the End of All Things is Upon Us, Part 1

Once people went to their churches or pastors when they needed help with a problem. The help they found at church was invaluable. The social connections they made were more rewarding at times than the relations folk some times enjoyed with their kinfolk.

Today, people seek out therapists, psychiatrists, shamans, gurus--the list never ends. With the psychiatrist comes the added boon of seemingly miraculous pills that sometimes--unintentionally--confer the quickest solution to psychiatric problems: death itself. I am referring, of course, to the frequent warnings in TV ads or, on the medication advisory sheets themselves, that state very calmly that "taking this product may result in death from suicide, liver failure or other, not remotely impossible, side effects." Why anyone in their right mind would ingest anything that would confer the gift of death in a vial of "happy" pills boggles the mind.

-- to be continued

Fire in the Sky Outshines Sunlight

The tension in the world was unbearable. For months the three rogue nations had played their games threatening to test or detonate much of their nuclear arsenal. People of faith everywhere had started taking prayer and fasting seriously for once.

If the end of the world was days or weeks away I wanted to be on the roof with my laptop, taking pictures and short video feeds with the cellphone. Every day after work, what work could still be done in the mounting disorder that the world experienced every day, I took to the roof to document what I saw all around me. The forest smoldered in the distance as the end-of-life mobs set anything they could find that wasn't fireproof.

Last night all the lights went out for 21 minutes and I was able to see a star that shone with a different type of light. It was pulsating as nothing I'd ever seen. When the power came back on, there was too much light all around me on the roof to see the strange star anymore. The next night the lights went out again for 21 minutes and the star was visible again, but this time it was larger. How could anything in the sky that pulsates from so far away get larger 24 hours later?

This pattern continued night after night until one night, the sun came out at midnight. Except it wasn't the same sun we knew. It was three times the size. Even the darkest sunglasses made it difficult on the eyes. I took my videos and pictures and wrote what I saw and how I felt about it and published it for anyone who was still connecting to the worldwide wireless hub for continuity or information.

The next night when the sun came out again I noticed that the fires were burning brighter. The only difference was alarming. The fires that had been lit up till now were the familiar red, yellow and orange flames that one was used to. These fires were green, blue and violet. The fires were not being set from below, but from the very skies. The world we had known had ceased to exist with the arrival of the giant midnight sun.

The next night the most alarming sight took hold of me as I saw in the not too distant cemetery what seemed like huge birds darting up from the trees in the woods surrounding the park. The figures were so distant and multicolored that I wondered what type of bird could change its color so randomly as it flew higher and higher. I photographed the distant figures and posted them for anyone to see and try to comment on it, for I could not.

When the city was almost ablaze, I noticed that the couple on the roof next to mine that had come out every night, as I had done, were strangely hovering six feet above the roof. I knew the Chinese had experimented with personal hovercraft platforms, but how anyone could have a prototype in their possession in this country was beyond me. I photographed them and with only a word or two, I posted it on my blog.

After an hour or two I realized that the enterprising Chinese had sold more prototypes to eager Americans than I had thought possible. Here and there in the buildings surrounding me I saw other couples hovering six feet above the roof. It seemed as they were waiting for something. With instant phone detection, no doubt, they were able to contact each other and coordinate whatever they were planning as they hovered six feet above the roof of their high rise buildings.

In a flash the sky exploded in blinding light of emerald and blue shades of undulating waves of color and sound. I was about to send a quick note and publish it when I noticed that much to my surprise I was no longer standing on the roof. I too was hovering six feet above the roof. I didn't know what this could mean as I had no expensive Chinese hovercraft, for sure. In a panic I wrote my last message and clicked the orange "Publish" link in my blog program. Nothing else needed to be said. My last message went out to anyone who was still connected, as I dropped my laptop and looked at the One who was seated on the throne in the middle of the giant sun.

"Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire," says the LORD Almighty. "Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall." Malachi 4:1,2 (NIV)

[Originally posted as The Second Coming, Wirelessly]

Noah's Interstellar Ark

Hurricanes in Florida, terrorism in New York City, earthquakes and wildfires in California, tornadoes just about everywhere, global warming, raging wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and genocide in Darfur. The harsh realities of living anywhere on planet Earth hint that there are no desirable cities or countries left to live in. Why bother moving out to somewhere else? Why not consider moving up! I mean that literally, not figuratively

Noah in the Bible was not given a ready-built mode of survival from the catastrophic flood that wiped the known-world into oblivion. He had to build the ark himself. In like manner this is what must be done by Adventist Futurists and their supporters. There is nowhere to escape in the event of a worldwide conflagration but up and out. Humanity possesses the God-given science, vision and the means to build arks in space to escape Earth's destruction by fire.

If Noah and his family had to begin again from scratch after they escaped death by water into a virtually new world, a postdiluvian one, why might not modern-day Noahs also escape into a virtual new world beyond the disaster of a worldwide Apocalypse?

Yes, Christ still returns, but not to Jerusalem on Earth, but rather, to a spiritual Jerusalem on another world or sphere. All the prophecies of the Bible may need to be cast in new settings to adjust to unforeseen glitches ushered in by the postmodern world in which we live.

We've all heard the expression of not putting all our eggs into one basket. We must not disregard the possibility that the damage or dangers that have been perpetrated on Earth by humanity, or by problems endemic to life-on-Earth, may be irreversible. There may be hope yet. We need to act in undreamed of ways. We cannot wait to see the Earth dying with no solution at hand. Planning for alternate versions of deus ex-machina may not be such a bad idea after all. How true would the saying then be that "God works in mysterious ways."

A Third of the Trees are Dying, Literally

CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) is currently causing bees to completely disappear by 2035. With the bees gone fruits, vegetables and nuts will be gone, as well, since bees--not wind--pollinate these crops. Humanity would need to survive only on wind-pollinated crops like wheat and rice. While humans have survived during past historical periods on a non-varied diet, optimum health and quality of life as we know them now, will be a thing of the past. While humans may survive the loss of all fruits, vegetables and nuts, many animal species which depend on these foods will not survive. If the wind-pollinated crops also become endangered--which is certainly not impossible--starvation will quickly take its toll on humanity.

As I watched this PBS documentary, The Silence of the Bees, the text from Revelation came to mind right away and these words haunted me the more I watched as the mysterious dying of the bees was explained.

. . . "A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the
trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up."
Revelation 8:7 (New International Version)

Supposedly, malnutrition, parasites, pesticides, and finally, a virus are to blame for a third of the bees having already died out quickly. While this may explain this phenomenon partially, no available solution has been found to reverse this loss of bees. While this may explain the mystery of the dying bees, it does not answer as to why it's happening in what appear to be apocalyptic proportions.

If the bees disappear--and they will die out by 2035 unless a way is found to reverse the process--most of the foods we eat will also disappear. When the food disappears, more and more humans may very well start to experience ill health and then die, even in civilized countries. With the death of more and more of humanity, untold problems will appear, e.g., riots, revolution, and the break down of civilization.

Yes, science may yet save the day, but if it cannot, then we may be witnessing the gradual extinction of humanity or we may be seeing something else.

What if the End, the apocalypse spoken of in the book of Revelation, is really upon us?

During the Cold War it was nuclear destruction that was feared. How much simpler will the end be ushered in: by the dying of the bees and everything that follows in its wake.

Pray that the bees live on, as well as all of life and its interconnectedness. If you can't pray for that, then pray for yourself and your family that you will survive the long-foretold End of all things.

Great Controversy Prophecy Is on the Verge of Taking Place

Only an avid reader of Ellen G. White's Great Controversy would find this headline in today's New York Times astounding:

Pope Urges New World Economic Order

The lead paragraph is like a swim in a cold ocean:

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday called for a radical rethinking of the global economy, criticizing a growing divide between rich and poor and urging the establishment of a “world political authority” to oversee the economy and work for the “common good.”

Another paragraph contains a reference to labor unions which Ellen G. White also was wont to attack:

Indeed, sometimes Benedict sounds like an old-school European socialist, lamenting the decline of the social welfare state and praising the “importance” of labor unions to protect workers. Without stable work, he notes, people lose hope and tend not to get married and have children.

It seems that Ellen G. White did have a window into the future after all.

Jacob's Time of Trouble Happens in Your Mind

Before the sun set today I realized that during the past four years, especially this last year, I have been experiencing the long-awaited Jacob's time of trouble. Most of it is occurring in my mind. Some events, of course, happen around me or to me personally or to my loved ones.

This special time of testing, of doubt and of soon-to-arrive victory happens in my quiet moments. The Shaking has been trying to shake me loose, but I hang on by the power of God. The Latter Rain of the Holy Spirit has been falling since last spring.

Jesus' coming is only years away.

Jesus' coming is only months away.

Jesus' coming is only days away.

I believe Jesus Christ is coming back within my lifetime to take me with him. He's coming back to take my loved ones and all who believe in his name with him, as well.

The Second Coming of Christ is practically here. The Waiting is almost over.

Mysteries of the Second Coming

Alternate titles: Radical Second Coming, Second Coming Re-Conceived

The first coming was not what the remnant thought it would be. Why does the second coming have to be what the remnant people are so dead sure it will be? The prophecies were misinterpreted the first time. How can you rule out that the same thing won't happen a second time?

What if Christ comes and, somehow, those who are looking for his coming miss it altogether?

The first time Christ didn't come to free the Jews from Roman bondage, but rather from bondage to sin. What if Christ comes not to Earth, but leaves from Earth? What if Christ has been here living among us for 2,000 years. Then it could be said that he "comes quickly" because he never left us?

When he leaves it will be with those who, mistakenly, have awaited his coming from the skies. The first time he came from the Earth. Why can't he also come from the Earth the second time?

Reinterpret all the prophecies of the last 2,000 years and see how this new way of looking at Christ's second coming fits into the picture.

Disclaimer: This is only meant as a "what if" scenario. I am not suggesting that Christ will not come in the clouds and that every-eye-shall-see-him, will not take place.

Living with Jesus

Simple words? Perhaps they are for those who have long enjoyed the experience of focusing on Jesus and not on anyone else or on anything else. However, for most people living with Jesus is either not attractive or if it is something to be desired, it is not as easy as simply saying the words three magical times.

We can only live for or with Jesus if he comes to us and makes his home with us. Day after day I find myself asking him to come and live inside me. I think that's what I want although I'm not sure if once he comes and stays with me, I'll realize it or even if I will find that it's what I thought his constant presence would be like.

The nicest compliment anyone could ever give me would be to say that I reminded them of Christ. I'm not sure I could handle such a compliment. I have a hard enough time handling compliments of any kind. That one in particular would probably break any Christ connection I may someday have.

Now that I think about Christ-like people I've met, my mind comes to one particular pastor who was the kindest and most devout person I ever met. I would mention his name, but I think it best not to do so in case he's reading this and by my stating such an opinion it would either send him to his knees or would sever the Christ connection for a bit until he confessed his sin of spiritual pride.

Perhaps it is better not to think so much about whether or not one is Christlike. Better to think how unChristlike one has been and how we are in dire need of his transforming grace to make us not self-conscious about our Christlikeness, but obsessed with Christ and fellowship with him.

Suddenly I think of Christ on Earth and what he thought of himself. Did he consciously think about wanting to become more Godlike? Did he see God in himself? Did others tell him that he was the most Godlike person they had ever met? I think not. Jesus was probably not self conscious about things like that. He might have lived his life as naturally and as unself-consciously as we live our lives. For him to have lived it otherwise is unrealistic. Jesus was as sane as you or I. He didn't think more of himself than he had to. We should do the same.

(I wonder if the Adventist Review would be interested in an article like this one? It sounds so safe and non-controversial. I've often wanted to write an article for the Review, but I can never quite leave out controversial bits and pieces. Now that I've proofed it I realize that I'm probably incapable of writing an article that would fit the mold. So much for my passing desire to write for the Adventist Review.)

The Next Great Disappointment

In one or two Adventist churches in South Florida people are making plans to leave for their countries of origin or moving to remote wilderness locations in preparation for what they feel is the arrival of the Time of Trouble. All these folks can't be mistaken or can they?

If, for whatever reason, the Time of Trouble fails to arrive along with its related event, the End of Time, what will become of all these folks? Will they realize that they were over eager or will they be sorely disappointed? Will many leave the Adventist church if these two related events fail to materialize in the near future? Their number seems to be growing more and more with each passing day.

Is this the beginning of a major fanatical phase within mainstream Adventism? Or is it the beginning of a branching off of some of these folks into an alternate Adventist church? Or will this subside in time?

If what all these folks expect to happen does not happen what will be effect on Adventism in this country and in other countries?

Has this happened before around the time of the Great Depression or is this a unique phenomenon?

In my local church --as well as in other Adventist churches all across America--several members have sold or are selling personal belongings, donated one of two family cars, or cleaned out their life's savings and turned it all over to their church for the advancement of the gospel.

This just might be the real thing we are witnessing, just like it was the real thing in the apostolic church when similar things started happening.

If it is not, may God have mercy on all of us.

After the End

Life is weird as we wait for the end to finally hurry up and get here. I just drove by a big auto dealership two miles from home and found that they had gone under. Later on I read on the news that due to credit lines being frozen, auto dealerships will go out of business more and more. It was odd first seeing it first hand, then reading about this kind of thing taking place.

I attended church on Saturday morning, but today I was searching to be with people at worship so I attend an Episcopalian church in Ft. Lauderdale. Nothing in the service indicated that these brethren realize the End is upon us.

I was in an apocalyptic mood so instead of going home I dropped into the movie Blindness, a movie that had a look and a storyline that I kept telling myself might reflect what cities might degenerate into when the End creeps up upon us.

This movie was a downer for the most part and I wasn't thrilled to see it. It was billed as an exciting thriller. Perhaps thrillers no longer thrill when you know that the real thing is almost upon us. What a relief that there was a glimmer of hope at the end of the movie. Nevertheless, movies like this don't help me very much. In the future I'll choose my celluloid experiences very carefully.

Back home I put on Wynton Marsalis' church-jazz composition, In this House, On this Morning. I ate my home-cooked meal and waited for the afternoon soon to slip into forever. Alas, forever did not come so I decided to pay some bills on-line.

You will definitely know that something serious is happening to the world in which we live in when they stop filming new episodes of Desperate Housewives. But that day has not yet arrived. There's another new episode on tonight. In desperate times like these, what better show to watch than Desperate Housewives. Perhaps a little bit of humor and other people's mundane lives is what is needed as society devolves into madness. How fortunate for those who have the entire four seasons of Desperate Housewives on DVD in case they really do stop filming new episodes of this and other TV shows.

The networks would then have no other recourse than to film reality shows about the End of Days. Don't think it sounds so far-fetched. Hollywood has done everything else.

How does one live, really, when all the world is collapsing?

The End Has Come: Jesus is Almost Here

Prayer meeting is always a welcome haven from the challenges of the working week. We've been studying concepts based on the Adventist classic "Preparation for the Final Conflict" by Chaij. Our pastor really believes that these recent economic troubles are a signal that Christ is at the gates. Not just coming soon, but actually coming in no time at all.

This sense of urgency has affected me more than I'd like. While I'm glad Christ is coming in no time at all, it also has made me overwhelmed at what that entails about the End Times. I'm almost thinking of putting everything else on hold since Christ's coming is months or a few years from now.

It is exciting, but it's challenging as I have to continue living my life. Just today I considered not buying anything at all as far my hobbies are concerned, because there's no time for hobbies anymore. Again, I'm not sure that living like that is potentially healthy, but then again, if these are the last days, months or years of planet Earth's history, who has time for hobbies anymore?

In church we recently watched a video about pastor David Gates. He's a very spiritual and knowledgeable man who outlines just how close we are to the End of Time. If you want to check out his major sermons, The Approaching Storm series, the link is attached:
http://gospelministry.org/blog/?page_id=451

How will this all turn out? At what point do we stop blogging and focus on what the Lord impresses us to do to get ready to meet him in the immediate future. We can't speak of Jesus coming soon anymore. We've been saying "soon" for 2,000 years. It makes no sense to speak of soon. Why not simply say that Jesus is almost here.

I really do believe that Jesus Christ is coming back in my lifetime.

Time of Trouble is Almost Upon Us

For weeks now Wednesday night prayer meeting focuses on how bad things are getting in the world and how much worse they will get. It should make me happy that the Time of Trouble is almost here and after that, the Second Coming should follow close behind.

Perhaps this is really it. Why deny it any longer?

However, I wonder how Adventists responded as the Great Depression was ushered in by that unthinkable stock market crash and its aftermath? Did they also think at that time that the Time of Trouble was, no doubt, in its initial stages?

The thought has come to me more than once that society at large will probably not persecute the Remnant because of their refusal to honor the Day of the Sun, but rather for having such deeply pessimistic and dire predictions about how things will get worse and not better.

If as a people, all seven million of us--or however many Adventists are actively waiting for the Time of Trouble to arrive--focus all our efforts and mental energy on how things will get worse, no doubt, such a powerful self-fulfilling prophecy will come true. Sooner or later.

The Second Coming of Christ: Reinterpreting the Prophecies

The first coming of Christ was nothing like what the Hebrew nation expected. It did not set them free from Roman rule. It did not usher in the peaceful and successful world that they had read about in the book of Isaiah.

If this misunderstanding happened with the all-important First Coming of Christ, what would prevent a similar misunderstanding from happening to the as-important, Second Coming of Christ.

When it is said that "every eye shall see him" one has to keep in mind that when those words were written down "every eye" referred to those in the then-known world, ostensibly a flat world with the Mediterranean, or great sea, as it's focal point. The Second Coming would have to be very large in scale, millions and millions of angels to fill a large enough area of the Mediterranean Sea, and the barbarian areas of Europe, Asia minor, etc., to be able to be seen all over the then-known world. It would follow then, that when the Second Coming occurs it will be seen by every eye in that part of the world. As the Earth rotates other areas will also be able to see the wondrous sight of golden beings and their Saviour-King hovering over planet Earth in a chariot of clouds.

Greater study and prayer are needed to unlock the prophecies about the Second Coming of Christ and strip them of interpretations that 2,000 years have built into them.

Some faiths believe in a Secret Rapture. Ours does not. However, when it speaks of "one will be taken and the other left" I sometimes wonder if out of respect for Free Will, those that are not taken will be allowed to live out their lives, as well as that of their descendants, until Free Will eventually renders this planet unlivable. In this way, God would not be the destroyer of those he created, they would destroy themselves. How long would this planet continue to exist without God's protecting grace preventing total anarchy and evil?

Some might think that to allow this world to continue with the uninterrupted intensity of evil that would exist without God's grace cushioning the effect of sin, would be more unkind than to destroy all those who reject God's last call to repentance. The same might well be said for our present state of affairs where an ever-increasing level of evil and suffering continues day after day.

The Second Coming by Sheer Will

Christians everywhere are focusing more and more on the reality of the Second Coming, not as a far-away dream, but as something that will happen within a few years.

The power of the will is astounding. If we all focused on these simple words, "Jesus Christ is coming back in my lifetime," whatever we're not doing now that would hasten Christ's Second Coming, we would start doing.

Now it's important to realize that nothing we can do through our own efforts will be successful without being filled by the Spirit of Christ. I've heard from more than one person that sometimes evangelistic campaigns are mounted in large cities and famous evangelists are invited to speak, but in some cases, not one person makes a decision for Christ. Those in attendance are the ones that already believe, not those who are at the decision point.

I've often thought that if large groups of Christians would visualize the Second Coming as an event already experienced, it would have to take place sooner, not later.

Hasten the Second Coming in your life. Think of it constantly.

The End of Time

This is a phrase that comes to mind without any thought on my part. It doesn't help that often when I open the bible it opens to Ezekiel 7. The New International Version editor has titled this chapter "The End Has Come." I can't tell you how often my bible has opened as if automatically to this very page. I've often thought that perhaps it is the very center of the binding and therefore the page finds me instead of me finding it. That can't be quite right as it took me several tries just now to find this chapter. I had not remembered that it was the seventh chapter. There are, however, 48 chapters to skim through, yet it took about a minute or three to find this End Page.

I've read this chapter several times, especially every time it just happens to find me. I've thought that God guides me to this page and yet it's historical specifics don't resonate with me. My end of time obsession is far in the future. When I don't automatically think of these words, "the end of time" I often think of the following phrase: "a million years from now."

I meditate on what life or the universe will be like within a million years. Sometimes I associate both of these automatic mind phrases and imagine that life as we know it, or the universe, will end a million years from now.

It is nothing but a suspicion. It is not a wish I want to come true.

Today I stopped to think what meaning the cessation of time, as one of the four dimensions of existence, would possibly have. It sounds nonsensical that the other three dimension, height, depth, width could possibly go on and yet, the most important one, time, come to an end.

I once read in a scientific article that it is thought by some that time was the first dimension to come into being before the others could possibly exist. It makes sense since whether you believe in God or not, the universe started out as nothing, or close to nothing, an imperceptible original point of matter-energy. Since time was the first to come into existence, why couldn't it be the first to cease existing, after which the other dimensions would follow its lead.

The good news is that our universe might very well be a cyclical one. If time ends a million years from now, it can begin again a million years later. Or perhaps after time ends, it automatically begins again, racing faster and faster to its next End Game.

Latter Rain is Falling

Listen, the Latter Rain is falling.
Run out into the Spirit Rain as it pours on you.
Let it fill your mind and cleanse you of all impurities.

Holy Spirit, beautify my soul with the colors of grace.
Color my mind with the beauty of your love.

Wash me gently at first.
Then let the downpour begin.
Don’t let your Holy Rain stop until I’m all clean.

Six Six Six Years after September 11, 2001

Nobody took 9.11.01 as bad as I did. That's not entirely true.



Here's someone who really had a larger-than-life reaction. Jonathan Paulien was my senior year history teacher at Greater New York Academy during the early 1970s.



Please read the full article The Day the Sky Fell

To the Angel of the Eighth Church

I know an eighth church was never intended. The seventh church, Laodicea, was to have been the very last. It was not.

Many of you are on fire for your Lord, others are colder and colder everyday. Why speak of a lukewarm state anymore? Just as there are hotter and hotter degrees of heat, so are there colder and colder degrees of cold.

Among you are carnal Christians who, though wanting to love their Lord, fail miserably. I've done all I can do for them. The rest is in their hands. Do they really want to be rid of their carnality? Or do they love their sinful natures more than they love me?

I am grateful for the spiritual Christians among you, though I have this against you: take heed lest you focus too much on your spirituality and forget those who are not as focused as you. You could very well join their ranks and suffer as they do, wanting to love me, but unable to do so because of their great love for self. Minister to their weaknesses with the strength I have given you by my Spirit.

Finally, know that I hate those who hate sinners and love those who love them, as I love them.

If you have ears to hear, take heed of what the Spirit says to the Angel of the Eighth Church.