When I entered high school my best friend decided he was going to try tennis, so I tagged along. Tennis ended up being the most difficult sport I had ever tried, so I stuck with it, having the competitive nature that I do. Tennis became my life for the last three years of high school. Towards the end of my sophomore year it was rumored that we were to get a student who was transferring from another school, and that he was a very good tennis player. Now this had all of our team buzzing with excitement, (I was on the Varsity team,) we could not wait to see how good he was going to be. I was somewhat concerned because I was about seventh or eighth seed, and did not want to lose my spot on the team.
When John finally arrived at our school, I was relieved to find out that he was somewhat of a let down to the team. He was about my caliber of a player, in fact I was a slightly better player, so I thought. John befriended me, and one day, within a week of his arrival, he asked where I lived. After I told him, he mentioned that he was going that way, and asked if I wanted his company on my way home, he had something he wanted to share with me. I said sure; little did I know this was my date with destiny!
Now my walk home from school was about two miles, so it was about forty minutes. In this forty minutes John used a Bible tract to expound the gospel of Jesus Christ to me, and I understood it. Near the end of our walk he said that this was the point where he had to turn off. He asked me if I wanted to pray the sinner�s prayer with him, or, he said, I could pray it alone at home if I wanted. I chose not to pray it right there on the sidewalk. But I knew in my heart that this was the truth, so I ran the rest of the way home; I could not wait. When I got home I went strait to my room and reread the Bible tract that John had given me, just to be sure that I had it
right, then I got on my knees at my bedside and I prayed the sinner�s prayer alone in my bedroom.
I must tell you I did not have the weight of the world on my back, I did not do drugs, I was not a bully, I did well in school, and I was generally an all around nice guy. When I prayed that prayer it was like the weight of the world had been lifted from off of me! It was like I now had the precious truth of knowing what G-d wants from me! It was an unbelievable opening of my eyes. My heart was full of praise and thanksgiving for G-d, and this was a feeling I had never felt before. I knew at that very moment, G-d had changed me forever. The Bible, as I would later find out, also became much more comprehensible to me.
Now I am not saying that my conversion is any different than anyone else�s, I am simply including it in this work. So the next day at school, John asked me if I had prayed the prayer. I told him I did, and I thanked him for sharing with me G-d�s plan of salvation. John informed me that in order to completely understand the plan of G-d, I needed training in a church that taught the word of G-d. Now I did not think about it at the time, but it now amazes me, there was just such a church in the very path of my two-mile walk to and from school! It was called Redeemer Covenant. I remembered a rather large boy, (who I will not name,) who used to mow the lawn at this church, and how the kids used to make fun of him, he was to become my friend.
So John took me to this church and got me involved, and I made friends there, and began to learn the word of G-d, and I was later baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Now John only stayed around until I had made new friends; about two weeks, then he was gone from my life forever. I had never been to his house, I had no idea where he lived, and I never saw him again. This is the truth and is no lie, as G-d is my witness, when we stand before him you shall know that I did not lie. I never realized, until recently, the significance of his name. This teenager who entered my life and changed it forever was gone all in the space of three weeks, and his name was John Elias, and I am his convert; greatly in debted to him, and this is my testimony to you.
In Christ and His unsurpassable love.
It is my hope that this work will awaken all who seek to understand G-d�s word in this last of the great days. It seems to me that since the year 2000 has come and gone, the church has fallen asleep. It is like there was a great fear and expectation of what would happen at the change of the millennium, but since nothing happened, there is now the attitude that we have another thousand years to go, and that all things continue as usual since the fathers fell asleep. So here is a little enticement: something did happen in 2000, and it was a great sign.
Remember the planetary alignment of May 5, 2000? There were predictions of catastrophe, destruction, and mayhem, but the alignment came and went and the scientists all laughed at the prognosticators, (and rightly so). What nobody seems to remember is that the stars, moon, sun, and planets, were given by G-d for times, and seasons, and days, and years. Our solar system is a giant clock! So what does it mean when we see a planetary alignment of this magnitude? Even our scientists tell us it happens about every thousand years, and many of them don�t believe in the Creator! The planetary alignment of May 5, 2000, was the great clock striking midnight on the sixth millennium. However; the clock is distorted because of the sin of mankind on the earth, therefore all nine planets did not line up. We are either in the Seventh Millennium or very, very close to it.
Now the Seventh Millennium is known as The Day of the L-rd by many of us, so why then should we be caught off guard? Wake-up! Jesus called on us to be watchful and ready! It is time to make ourselves ready, shepherds; feed the flock! G-d is about to ask us to sacrifice everything and to overcome; I am ready, are you?
Take this and read it alone in quiet solitude, you will need peace and quiet to understand what is written herein. It may not come easy but your conscience and the Spirit of G-d will tell you whether I speak truth or not. All scripture quotations in this work are of the KJV, unless otherwise noted.
I have decided to make it known, at this point, that this work will not bear my name, for who am I in the kingdom of G-d? I am not looking to enter the field of prophecy writers who make their living off of the sheep, the poor of the flock who, because of the shepherds, are now looking for the wrong signs. Neither do I seek the recognition that the shepherds so desire. Wo unto the shepherds! Feed the flock of G-d!