Gerald E. Weston

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

What Does Faith Over Fear Mean in the Bible?

Good-sounding religious axioms arise from time to time and become the rage for many. But how many actually live by these good-sounding sayings?

One of the recent, often repeated religious themes is faith over fear. It’s everywhere: books, Internet sermons, video shorts, and articles repeat this mantra directly or with slight variations. Whole clothing lines are lettered with it. You see plaques, trinkets, and crosses displaying these three words.

Yes, “faith over fear” is everywhere, especially since the pandemic, but are people living what they proclaim?

Examples of Courage in the Bible: Faith Over Fear

The Bible is filled with examples of people giving in to fear, but also of those who overcame fear. We think of David defeating the giant Goliath, of Daniel in the lion’s den, of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego defying King Nebuchadnezzar. Then there was Queen Esther, who put her life on the line to save her people. All these stories give us a lift in courage, if only in mind, and if only temporarily.

Few, if any of us, will ever face a literal giant, but it’s a common metaphor to face Goliath-like trials. Most often, these trials are presented in terms of a serious illness, the loss of a loved one, or being turned down for your dream job.

Yes, it’s true that faith can help us carry on. It’s good to overcome our fears when faced with such trials, but this is where I have a problem with the faith over fear fad.

True Faith Is Obedience to God (a Moral Decision)

We’re subject to many trials in life whether we endure them with faith or fear. Somehow we come out on the other side in due time, but the greatest necessity for exercising faith over fear has less to do with sickness and death than with obedience to God. And I’ll make that abundantly clear by the end of this program.

Hebrews 11:6 tells us the following:

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

There is a difference between a trial of sickness, which we endure—whether in faith or in fear—and that which comes upon us requiring us to make a moral decision.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego: Faith Over Fear (Daniel 3)

Examples requiring moral decisions are found in the book of Daniel. There we read of three young men who were faced with a life-and-death decision. Chaldean King Nebuchadnezzar set up a giant image and commanded all people to bow down to it whenever the band began to play. This was, of course, a violation of God’s Ten Commandments. When the king was informed that three young Jewish men refused to bow before his idol, he gave them a second chance with an ultimatum. Notice it in Daniel 3:15:

Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?

This was life or death right then and there. It would have been easy to reason that they could physically bow down to save their lives but not mentally worship it. Think about it! They did not know the end of the story as we do, yet they gave this bold response (vv. 16–18):

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up” (Daniel 3:16–18).

Another prime example of someone having to make a decision between obeying God or man is found in Daniel 6. Here we read of how the enemies of Daniel set him up with a decree forbidding the worship of the true God. Daniel could have reasoned that he could worship God silently on his bed at night, but he did not give into such reasoning. Instead, we read:

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days (Daniel 6:10).

Think about it dear friends. Consider the varying customs and doctrines found in professing Christianity:

• Some bow down before images of what they erroneously think Christ looks like.
• Others pray to Mary and/or various so-called saints, thinking of them as intermediaries between themselves and Christ.
• Some believe faith negates obedience.
• Others practice infant baptism while still others only baptize teens or adults.
• Some observe the seventh-day Sabbath, while others the first day of the week.

Is God working everywhere? Does He bend to our every whim? With the multitude of denominations extant today, is it not important to know where God is working?

Fear in the Bible: King Jeroboam’s False Justification (1 Kings 12)

I am challenging whether people who profess these words truly live by this popular mantra.

When Solomon’s son Rehoboam refused to lighten the heavy tax burden imposed by his father, the northern ten tribes rebelled, creating two separate nations: the house of Judah (that is the Jews and Benjamites) and the house of Israel.

The northern house of Israel chose Jeroboam as their king. But instead of putting his faith in God, Jeroboam feared the people. Notice it in 1 Kings 12:26–29:

And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom may return to the house of David: If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah.” Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt” (1 Kings 12:26–29).

Jeroboam’s two golden calf idols were strategically set up—one in the north and the other in the south as closer locations to worship than going all the way to Jerusalem. But he had to make another change, a change in the very manner and time of worship. We read of that in verses 32–33.

Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made. So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month (as opposed to at the Feast of Tabernacles a month earlier), in the month which he had devised in his own heart. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar and burned incense (1 Kings 12:32–33).

Notice where he got this idea. It was not from God, but it was an idea “devised in his own heart.” His fear of man, rather than faith in God, led the northern ten tribes of the house of Israel down a path from which they never recovered, eventually leading to national slavery.

Always Choose to Obey God, Not the Path of Least Resistance

It’s a huge mistake to follow one’s heart rather than God when it comes to which days are holy and which are not. Only God can make time holy.

When God brought Israel into the promised land, He warned them not to inquire after the quaint customs the inhabitants of the land dreamed up to worship their gods.

Do not inquire after their gods, saying, “How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.” You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it (Deuteronomy 12:30–32).

The example of an ancient king may seem too far removed from your day-to-day life, so let’s bring this closer to home.

Adam and Eve: Disobedience in the Bible

The second example, which is the account of Adam and Eve is more than a bedtime story. One lesson we may draw from it is that Adam was more interested in pleasing his wife than pleasing God. We are told in 1 Timothy 2:14 that:

Adam was not deceived (1 Timothy 2:14).

Yes, Adam knew better, so why did he partake of the fruit? We are not told how Eve enticed him into that disastrous decision—whether through her feminine wiles or whether there would be no peace until he gave in. But what is certain is that he was more interested in pleasing his wife than pleasing God.

It’s easy to say faith over fear, but is your faith in God greater than your fear of upsetting your mate?

Jesus tells us in Luke 14:26, 33:

If anyone comes to Me and does not hate [in other words, meaning love to a lesser degree by comparison] his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple (Luke 14:26–27, 33).

Dear friends, do you understand the gravity of Jesus’ words?

Who is most important in your life? Who do you love the most? Do you have faith in God, or do you fear your mate, your family, your associates?

Few people are willing to leave their comfort zone to fully obey their Creator.

I know it is shocking to hear, but the Christianity of today has little in common with that of Christ and first century Christianity. As highly respected historian, Professor Rufus Jones wrote:

If by any chance Christ Himself had been taken by His later followers as the model and pattern of the new way, and a serious attempt had been made to set up His life and teaching as the standard and norm for the Church, Christianity would have been something vastly different from what it became.… What we may properly call “Galilean Christianity” had a short life, though there have been notable attempts to revive it and make it live again, and here and there spiritual prophets have insisted that anything else than this simple Galilean religion is “heresy”; but the main line of historic development has taken a different course and has marked the emphasis very differently (The Church’s Debt to Heretics, 1924, pp. 15–16).

3 Common Justifications for Disobedience to God

While it is unlikely you will face a literal fiery furnace or den of lions, other difficult decisions have already come your way.

For example, have you ever asked yourself these questions:

• Why is the most sacred holiday in modern Christianity named after a pagan fertility goddess and celebrated with fertility symbols—eggs and rabbits?
• Why is the birth of Jesus celebrated on the birthday of the sun god, Mithra?
• Why does professing Christianity observe these days which are nowhere found in the Bible?
• And why does modern Christianity reject the days that Jesus, His apostles, and His first century followers kept?
• Why do [most] churches observe the first day of the week—Sunday—when God commanded us to keep holy the seventh day of the week—Friday sunset to Saturday sunset?

The Sabbath Test: Obedience to God or Fear of Man

Here are three faulty justifications professing Christians use to get around these contradictions of scripture.

1. Faulty Justification: The Sabbath and biblical Holy Days were for the Jews only.

Not according to Jesus. In response to the Pharisees trying to impose their man-made, overly restrictive traditions on Jesus and His disciples, we read in Mark 2 beginning in verse 27:

And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27–28).

Note that Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath—and He is not Lord over something that does not exist. And when was the day that He is Lord of made holy?

And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it [in other words, He set it apart as holy], because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made (Genesis 2:2–3).

We see from this that the Sabbath was made at creation for man—long before there was a Jew. Therefore, the justification that the Sabbath was made only for the Jews is patently false.

And regarding the annual Holy Days and festivals for worship that are found in the Bible, Paul reminded the Gentile church at Corinth of the significance of Passover, and then commanded them to keep the Days of Unleavened Bread, which immediately follow Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7–8).

For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

The Ten Commandments Are Still God’s Law

A second faulty justification is that:

2. Faulty Justification: The Ten Commandments were replaced by grace.

Now this is a huge subject, so let’s cut to the chase. Go down the list of the Ten Commandments. Which ones do we NOT need to keep? Is it okay to:

• Have another god before the true God?
• Use idols in the worship of God?
• Use God’s name frivolously?
• Dishonor parents?
• Kill?
• Commit adultery?
• Steal?
• Bear false witness?
• And covet what belongs to your neighbor?

No, dear friends, those who proclaim the commandments are done away only have a problem with one of the ten—the Sabbath command. Some also reason around the one about idols, but they do not find fault with the others.

Now think about this. In other words, “God, you did okay. You got nine out of the ten correct.” Or in some cases eight out of ten. How foolish is that?

True Christianity vs Pagan Traditions

Then there is:

3. Faulty Justification: It does not matter which days we observe as long as we do so for Jesus.

So dear friends, where is that found in Scripture? And why not simply keep the days Jesus kept?

The fact is that professing Christians choose to keep days made up in the imagination of their own hearts, just as Jeroboam did. Now let me remind you of that passage that we read earlier in this program—1 Kings 12:33.

So he [that is King Jeroboam] made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in his own heart.

Read the books of 1 Kings and 2 Kings and see how that turned out.

Following Jesus Christ vs Fear of Family and Friends

So why don’t people simply obey God and observe the days He chose rather than the days Emperor Constantine and arrogant rebellious men chose?

And that brings me to you. Do you have the faith to obey God? Or do you fear men: your boss, your friends, your neighbors, or your family? Look at yourself in the mirror. Ask yourself that question, and be honest with yourself.

Highly respected historians, such as Jesse Lyman Hurlbut, explain the transition away from original Christianity.

The services of worship increased in splendor, but were less spiritual and hearty than those of former times. The forms and ceremonies of paganism gradually crept into the worship. Some of the old heathen feasts became church festivals with change of name and of worship. About 405 AD images of saints and martyrs began to appear in the churches, at first as memorials, then in succession revered, adored, and worshiped. The adoration of the Virgin Mary was substituted for the worship of Venus and Diana; the Lord’s Supper became a sacrifice in place of a memorial; and the elder evolved from a preacher into a priest (The Story of the Christian Church, p. 79).

Faith Over Fear—Whom Will You Obey?

That’s a small glimpse into what happened, but why do people today, who can read the Bible and read history, go along with it? Why do they go along with pagan traditions masquerading as Christianity? The answer is simple: They fear family, friends, fellow workers, and neighbors rather than God.

They fear being ostracized by those closest to them. Men and women who know it’s wrong to follow a non-biblical tradition are afraid to make waves in the household if their mate has not come to the same conviction. They may be afraid of losing their job over keeping the biblical Sabbath. Teen who know it is wrong to vape or use drugs go along with his peers lest he be looked down upon and belittled. In other words, faith over fear sounds good until you are confronted by an unpleasant choice between obeying God or going down the path of least resistance.

You know Halloween is a bizarre and weird custom with pagan roots but are afraid to make waves.

• Pleasing friends and neighbors is easier than stepping out in faith.
• You know Christmas is a fraud with pagan origins, but skipping the Christmas party may jeopardize a future promotion.
• And who is willing to stir up the wrath of your wife or husband?

The answer is simple: Faith over fear sounds good until it comes down to obedience to God.

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

2026 Trends in Bible Prophecy

Where is our world heading in 2026? Will a lasting peace come to the Middle East? Or will it, along with the rest of the world, be plunged into a holocaust beyond anyone’s imagination? Some things we have no control over, so whether peace or war, my question for you today is: Where will you be at the end of 2026?

No one can tell the future for any one of us in precise detail. We may plan our lives, but the unexpected not only can happen, it often does. Yet, there are some things we can count on and plan for.

Do you realize that about 30 percent of the Bible is devoted to prophecy? And based on past history, if the Bible says it is going to happen, it will!

On this Tomorrow’s World program, I’ll review three trends I said to watch at the beginning of 2025 and add two more.

But first let me make it clear that I am not a prophet, nor is anyone else here at Tomorrow’s World a prophet. However, we can read the prophecies recorded in the Bible, and by looking for the signs they give, we can have a general idea of when these prophecies will take place.

At the beginning of last year, I gave three trends to watch. According to the Bible these things will happen. It is only a matter of when, not if.

Trend 1: Religious Revival of False Christianity

The first trend I gave was:

1. Watch for a worldwide revival in counterfeit Christianity.

Now why would we say this when religion—especially Christian religion has been on the decline for decades?

We’ve been told that Bible sales and church attendance is up since the assassination of Charlie Kirk, but that is not what I’m describing here. Predictions coming from Tomorrow’s World are not based on polls or testing which way the wind blows, but on what the Bible tells us.

And what the Bible tells us is that there will be a charismatic miracle-working religious figure who will deceive hundreds of millions. Note that I said a revival of counterfeit Christianity.

False Christianity is not strictly an end-time phenomenon, as the scriptures reveal that it began very quickly in the first century.

Bible Verses About False Teachers

Jesus and His apostles warned us of this, but few take the warnings seriously. The Apostle Paul chided the church at Corinth for allowing themselves to be deceived on the most basic of doctrines (2 Corinthians 11:3-4).

But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!

He went on to say that Satan has his ministers, and these are not those who claim to represent the devil, but those who claim to represent Christ. Notice it beginning in verse 13.

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

Jude, the half-brother of Jesus, declared that there were those who turned God’s grace into license to sin. Notice it, Jude the first chapter verse 4.

For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ (Jude 1:4).

And notice this caution given by Jesus in Matthew 24, the very first sign He gave when asked about the end of the age. Notice it (verse 4).

“Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name [that is, claiming to speak for Him], saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ [in other words, admitting that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah] and will deceive many” (Matthew 24:4).

While false Christianity has been around from the first century, this warning by Jesus explains the identity of the rider on the white horse in Revelation 6, the first of the famous four horsemen. The second, third, and fourth are easily discerned, but the first has been almost universally misunderstood. Most commentators identify it with Christ, or the church conquering for Christ. Yet when you compare Jesus’ Olivet Prophecy in Matthew 24, you will see that the first sign of the end will be false Christianity.

Trend #1: Watch for a worldwide revival in counterfeit Christianity.

Trend 2: Escalating War in the Middle East

The next trend was:

2. There will be continuing conflict in the Middle East that will lead to Christ’s return.

There was great conflict in the Middle East last year, but you may say that 2025 also saw Hamas release the hostages and agree to a peace treaty with Israel.

As I’m preparing to record this program, I have no idea how many twists and turns may occur between when it is recorded and when it airs. There will be ups and downs, but one thing is certain—a lasting peace will not come until the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, returns. In fact, one reason for His return is to save the Jewish people from total destruction.

Furthermore, when peace at last appears to be here, sudden destruction will follow. Notice it in 1 Thessalonians 5, beginning in verse 1.

But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3).

Trend 3: Animal Sacrifices in Jerusalem

The third of last year’s trends involved a very specific event.

3. Watch for daily sacrifices to begin in Jerusalem.

Now that’s based on a prophecy in Daniel 12:11.

End-Time Prophecy: Abomination of Desolation (Daniel 12, Matthew 24)

We read there that sacrifices will be stopped three years and seven months prior to the coming of the Messiah, and for them to stop, they must first begin.

And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days (Daniel 12:11).

Jesus also spoke of this time as the greatest time of trouble the world has ever seen—or ever will see.

Therefore when you see the “ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION,” spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand)…. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened (Matthew 24:15-22).

These three trends that I gave last year are still relevant today.

• There will be a revival in counterfeit Christianity.
• War will continue in the Middle East with the focus on Jerusalem, without regard to any temporary cease-fires.
• And daily sacrifices will begin.

While the title of this program is “2026 and Beyond”, we simply cannot know the exact timing of most end-time events. However, any thinking person realizes our world is in trouble.

The Antichrist that I spoke of earlier may not show up this year, but it’s not unreasonable to think he will burst onto the scene within the next very few years.

End-Time Prophecies About Jerusalem

It was foretold 2,500 years ago that there would be a militarily powerful Jewish state in control of Jerusalem during the years leading up to Christ’s return. Notice this remarkable prophecy in Zechariah 12, beginning in verse 2.

Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. . . . In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:2-6).

Consider—how could anyone know 2,500 years ago the following points revealed in this passage of Scripture?

• Jerusalem would be in existence.
• It would be the focus of trouble on the world scene.
• There would be a Jewish state controlling Jerusalem.
• All the nations of the earth are against the Jewish state.
• They would be militarily powerful and overcome enemies on all sides.

Now, is that not exactly what we see today?

Furthermore, Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, gathered all his sons together and foretold what would become of them “in the last days” (Genesis 49:1).

That was more than 3,500 years ago. And what did he foretell for his son Judah—the Jews? Notice it in verse 9.

Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; and as a lion, who shall rouse him? (Genesis 49:9).

Iran and their proxies Hamas and Hezbollah would have done well to read that before poking the lion.

Nevertheless, there is coming a time when Jesus will need to return to save the Jewish people from disaster, as shown in Zechariah 14:1-3.

Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, And your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle.

Trend 4: Rapid German Military Build-Up

Thus far I’ve reviewed three trends to watch, given at the beginning of last year. Now let me add to this list two more. Trend number 4:

4. Watch for a German-led remilitarized Europe.

We here at Tomorrow’s World have for decades been warning about a military resurgence in Europe, and most especially in Germany. Even American presidents could not cajole that country—and others—to step up to the plate to take on a greater role in the defense of Europe, but Russian President Putin accomplished that in a matter of hours following the invasion of Ukraine.

Who would have thought even a year ago that Germany and other European nations would boost defense spending by a whopping 5% of GDP? Yet today, that is the trajectory on which most are committed. And the speed in which they are ramping up military spending and preparing for war is astounding.

German thinking is perhaps best summarized by General Carsten Breuer as reported by the BBC.

“We are threatened by Russia. We are threatened by Putin. We have to do whatever is needed to deter that”…. He warns that Nato should be braced for a possible attack in as little as four years…. “And the sooner we are prepared the better” (Germany decides to leave history in the past and prepare for war, BBC.com, March 31, 2025).

End-Time Prophecies About the Beast Power

The books of Daniel and Revelation reveal a ten-nation military and economic colossus to arise in Europe at the time of the end—in effect, a revived Roman Empire. Notice that only the true servants of God will see this coming (Revelation 17:8).

The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And [notice this,] those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

People have scoffed at the idea of a remilitarized Germany, but that is what we are seeing today. If the Bible says it will happen, it will. So:

Trend #4: Watch for a German-led remilitarized Europe.

And 1 Thessalonians 5 gives us a warning not to get caught up in the euphoria of a false peace. Notice it in verse 1.

But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3).

Trend 5: Man Would Rather Believe a Lie Than the Truth

Now let me give a fifth vitally important trend to watch:

5. Nominal Christians will follow traditions over truth.

Jesus chided the Pharisees of His day for this very thing.

They came to Him complaining that His disciples did not wash in a ritualistic manner before eating. This was not a law of God, but a tradition of the elders. Notice Jesus’ strong response in Matthew 15:7-9.

Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”

Some translations put an erroneous twist on this account by claiming that Jesus did away with the laws of clean and unclean meats—laws that go back to the time of Noah.

You can read that in Genesis 7:2. Look it up and see it for yourself—Genesis 7:2.

But Jesus left no doubt about the subject being discussed here.

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man (Matthew 15:19).

Placing tradition over truth has been a perpetual problem and don’t expect that trend to stop anytime soon.

As historians Jesse Lyman Hurlbut, Edward Gibbon, Will Durant, and many others record, the Christianity of Christ, His apostles, and first-century Christianity no longer exists.

Søren Kirkegaard states bluntly:

The Christianity of the New Testament simply does not exist…. what has to be done is to throw light upon a criminal offense against Christianity, prolonged through centuries, perpetuated by millions (more or less guiltily), whereby they have cunningly, under the guise of perfecting Christianity, sought little by little to cheat God out of Christianity, and have succeeded in making Christianity exactly the opposite of what it is in the New Testament. (Kierkegaard’s Attack Upon “Christendom”, translated by Walter Lowrie, 1946, pp. 32–33).

The Truth Protects You from the Antichrist

Without realizing it, most professing Christians are already immersed in the spirit of antichrist.

How can you be certain that you will not be deceived by the Antichrist? Here are five suggestions.

#1: Order your free copy of Who or What Is the Antichrist?

It is free for the asking and you have nothing to lose and everything to gain, so do it today.

#2: Don’t be a collector—open it up and read it.

We find that many people have good intentions and order our literature, but not everyone takes the time to read it. A resource sitting on your coffee table unopened will do you no good. So open it and read it.

#3: Pray for understanding and look up the scriptures provided.

As we often say here at Tomorrow’s World, “Don’t believe us just because we say it. Open your Bible and prove it for yourself.”

#4: Ask challenging questions about traditions handed down to you.

For example:

• Why do you believe what you do?
• Why is the name of the supposed most sacred day of the Christian calendar named after a pagan fertility goddess and celebrated with fertility symbols—eggs, rabbits, lilies, etc.

Think about that. Does that make any sense?

• Why was the date of the birth of the sun god Mithra selected to commemorate Jesus’ birth?
• Further, why is the birthdate of Christ nowhere found in Scripture if God wanted us to celebrate it?

And here is another one:

• Are the unconverted who never even heard of the name of Christ going to suffer in hell forever?

That’s a long punishment for someone who never had a chance.

Most people follow family traditions and never challenge where these traditions come from. Frankly, most people don’t care, but they should!

What about you?

And finally, and most importantly,

#5: Act on what you learn.

When the Bible tells you not to worship God in the way the heathen do, do you continue following heathen customs and traditions handed down by family and friends? Or do you have the courage to go against the crowd and obey God? Perhaps your mother asked you: “Just because your friend jumps off a cliff, will you do the same?”

Good advice from Mom.

Choose to Live by the Word of God

When Jesus said in Matthew 19:17, “But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments,” do you believe Him? Or do you believe your preacher who says you don’t have to keep the commandments? And how about what the Apostle John wrote in his first letter (1 John 2:4-6)?

He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

Now we understand that we are all sinners and cannot save ourselves by our works, but does that mean the law of God, which defines sin, no longer needs to be kept? Do we understand what Jude, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote in Jude 4?

For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ (Jude 4).

Knowing Bible prophecy and what is coming means nothing unless you act on what you know.

So, dear friends, in the year 2026 I hope you will act on what you know. There are difficult times ahead and only those who truly put God first will find the way of escape.

Be sure to order your free copy of Who or What Is the Antichrist? And be sure to come back again next week when Wallace Smith, Rod McNair, and I will bring you more good news of the coming Kingdom of God and explain the prophecies of the Bible. See you next time.

Thanks for watching. If you found this video helpful, check out more of our content or hit subscribe to stay connected.

And if you want a free study guide related to this topic, just click the link. See you in the next video.

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

3 (Big) Cracks in Darwin’s Theory of Evolution

Do an Internet search and ask, “How did life begin on earth?” and you’ll find articles and videos pointing to some kind of evolutionary explanation. One honest NASA scientist in a video on the subject begins and ends with, “We just don’t know.” Yet, he is clearly looking for a naturalistic or evolutionary explanation.

Consider that there are only three fundamental hypotheses for the origin of life on planet Earth.

• Life was transported to Earth (panspermia).
• All life evolved from non-living matter.
• An intelligent being that we might think of as God created life.

Setting aside the huge problems of even bacterial life traveling through vast distances of space, over immense times, and in an environment that is hostile to life—the idea that life was transported to Earth from somewhere else in the universe merely postpones the central question. If life was transported to planet earth by a meteor or some other unknown means, how did it begin at that original source? Was it by chance? Or was it by an infinitely great mind with unlimited power?

Since the time when Charles Darwin’s thesis, On the Origin of Species, was published more than 165 years ago, the need for God in people’s minds has been diminished. After all, if we are no more than the product of blind evolutionary chance, what need is there for a Divine Creator?

1. Fossil Evidence Does NOT Support Evolution

However, in the last half century, insurmountable cracks have appeared in Darwin’s thesis. Let’s note three of them. Crack number one:

1. The fossil record argues against evolution.

But this may surprise you, since evolutionists often point to the fossil record as proof! However, they personally know better. The lack of fossil evidence was a problem from the beginning—and Darwin admitted this. But it was hoped that with greater fossil finds, the intermediates, the so-called missing links, would be found. But sadly, for evolutionists, that has not happened.

Every few years we hear “the missing link has been found,” but is that true? The answer is no, it is not. Part of the problem is that it is not a single link, but many thousands of links that are required—not only for man, but for every living creature.

Scientist Michael Denton pulls back the curtain on the geologic record in his insightful book Evolution: A Theory in Crisis.

The overall picture of life on Earth today is so discontinuous, the gaps between the different types so obvious, that, as Steven Stanley reminds us in his recent book Macroevolution, if our knowledge of biology was restricted to those species presently existing on earth, “we might wonder whether the doctrine of evolution would qualify as anything more than an outrageous hypothesis” (pp. 157–158).

And as Denton points out—and evolutionary scientists must admit—missing transitions (that is, intermediate forms) plagued Darwin from the beginning.

The absence of intermediates, although damaging, was not fatal in 1860, for it was reasonable to hope that many would eventually be found as geological activities increased (p. 160).

However, time and new discoveries have not been allies for evolution. Denton suggests that “probably 99.9%” of our current knowledge of the fossil record has been discovered since 1860, and:

Only a small fraction of the hundred thousand or so fossil species known today were known to Darwin. But virtually all the new fossil species discovered since Darwin’s time have either been closely related to known forms or, like the Poganophoras, strange unique types of unknown affinity (pp. 160–161).

Transitional forms simply are not there, and Denton states the obvious to any honest person who looks at the fossil record with an open mind.

Without intermediates or transitional forms to bridge the enormous gaps which separate existing species and groups of organisms, the concept of evolution could never be taken seriously as a scientific hypothesis (p. 158).

So crack number one in the evolutionary hypothesis is the fossil record argues against evolution.

2. Mathematical Evidence Is Against Evolution

And now for crack number two:

2. It is mathematically impossible for life to rise from dead matter by chance.

Science writer and evolutionist Bill Bryson explains.

No one really knows, but there may be as many as a million [different] types of protein in the human body, and each one is a little miracle (A Short History of Nearly Everything, p. 288).

One of those million or so miracles that you have likely heard of is collagen. And regarding the odds of it self-assembling, Bryson states what all rational scientists must admit:

The chances of a 1,055-sequence molecule like collagen spontaneously self-assembling are, frankly, nil. It just isn’t going to happen (ibid).

He then went on to describe the mathematical odds against a much smaller 200-string protein self-assembling as greater than all the atoms in the universe. The larger collagen protein happening by chance is of a magnitude incomprehensibly greater, but collagen is not even close to the largest protein.

Titin gives elasticity to our muscles and much more, and it contains somewhere in the neighborhood of more than 33,000 amino acids. That’s like throwing letters of the alphabet together and by accident forming a coherent sentence made up of some 33,000 or more letters. No wonder evolutionist Bill Bryson makes this remarkable admission:

By all the laws of probability proteins shouldn’t exist (A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson, p. 288).

Nature programs and books generally portray evolution as fact rather than theory. However, this theory is in crisis, as Michael Denton explains in Evolution: A Theory in Crisis. So far, I’ve given you two cracks in the theory.

Crack #1: The fossil record argues against evolution.

And crack #2: It is mathematically impossible for life to rise from dead matter by chance.

Life is either the result of cosmic accidents, or the result of a great intelligence with unlimited power. There’s no other choice.

3. Living Organisms Are Too Complex to Evolve

Now here is a third crack.

3. Life is complex beyond our comprehension.

When Charles Darwin formulated his theory and published it in 1859, he had no concept about the complexity of the cell, but with the advent of modern technologies that allow us to see inside the cell, we now know that the complexity of cells staggers the mind. As Michael Denton explains:

Between a living cell and the most highly ordered non-biological system, such as a crystal or a snowflake, there is a chasm as vast and absolute as it is possible to conceive…. Although the tiniest bacterial cells are incredibly small… each is in effect a veritable microminiaturized factory containing thousands of exquisitely designed pieces of intricate molecular machinery…far more complicated than any machine built by man and absolutely without parallel in the non-living world (Evolution: A Theory in Crisis, Michael Denton, pp. 249–250).

Denton goes on to explain:

The complexity of the simplest known type of cell is so great that it is impossible to accept that such an object could have been thrown together suddenly by some kind of freakish, vastly improbable event. Such an occurrence would be indistinguishable from a miracle (p. 264).

In his 2019 book on the subject of the human body, Bill Bryson makes this thought-provoking admission:

You could call together all the brainiest people who are alive now or have ever lived and endow them with the complete sum of human knowledge, and they could not between them make a single living cell (The Body: A Guide for Occupants, Bill Bryson, p. 4).

Yet evolutionists want us to believe that something so complex happened by chance. The truth is that scientists cannot give a rational explanation how such a grand accident could occur.

Oh, they give just-so stories that sound good on the surface: This might have happened, then this may have come about, and it is not hard to imagine this change taking place, etc., etc., and etc.

All this leads us to the obvious conclusion: What is the most reasonable explanation for life?

Former Atheist Says DNA Had to Be Designed

Many scientists and philosophers are coming to the realization that evolution is found wanting and that the only rational explanation is that there is an intelligent Creator behind life. Perhaps the most striking example is that of the late Antony Flew, considered by many to be “the world’s most influential philosophical atheist.”

But early in 2004, at the age of eighty-one, he changed his mind. Flew announced his conversion to deism, launching seismic waves throughout the philosophic community.… He had become convinced that life would not be possible without the extreme fine-tuning of the universe, and this was only possible with a designer. In addition, he concluded that new discoveries about DNA made it impossible that life could be an accident. As he put it, “It now seems to me that the findings of more than fifty years of DNA research have provided materials for a new and enormously powerful argument to design” (Your Designed Body, Laufmann & Glicksman, p. 425).

When we consider how complex life truly is on every level, it brings us to another question: How could God do it? It should be obvious to anyone who knows even a little bit about the structure and operation of cells, that they cannot happen by chance. As Michael Denton rightfully stated:

The complexity of the simplest known type of cell is so great that it is impossible to accept that such an object could have been thrown together suddenly by some kind of freakish, vastly improbable, event. Such an occurrence would be indistinguishable from a miracle (Evolution: A Theory in Crisis, Michael Denton, p. 264).

A 1961 hit song tells us that God made woman out of a hundred pounds of clay, an obvious reference to the biblical account of man being made of the dust of the ground. But much is left out of this picture. My guess is that many people envision God taking clay and molding it in the form of a man, then breathing into his nostrils, and the clay suddenly became a living man. But was it that simple? Was it magic?

How Complex Is the Human Brain?

How did the circulatory system, the digestive system, the respiratory system come to be? How were all the organs—heart, liver, spleen, and pancreas—formed?

And let us not forget our brain. As Bryson says:

The most extraordinary thing in the universe is inside your head. You could travel through every inch of outer space and very possibly nowhere find anything as marvelous and complex and high functioning as the three pounds of spongy mass between your ears (The Body: A Guide for Occupants, Bill Bryson, p. 48).

How did something so marvelous and complex as the brain come to be? How did the cells that make up the organs and systems, with all their amazing organelles and protein machines, suddenly appear?

The human body and all living creatures, whether great or small, are designed from the microscopic to cause the body to function as a whole. As explained in the previous portion of this program, the complexity of life is so great that scientists readily admit it is mathematically impossible to happen by chance. Yet they refuse to entertain any alternative to their materialistic religion.

But if there is no other alternative than God, how did He do it? How did he construct the cells, the organs, and all the intricate details, all at once before it began decomposition—something that happens almost immediately? Think about it dear friends. This is no small thing.

Bible Verses About Creation

How could God do it? Well, Psalm 33:6 tells us:

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.

Yes, “by the word of the Lord” and “the breath of His mouth.” One could argue that this is poetic and not to be taken literally, but the idea that it was by God’s command that the universe and life on this planet came to be is found throughout the Bible. Notice that this is confirmed in the very first chapter of Genesis. I won’t read it all, but let’s begin with verse 24.

Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so.… Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” …So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them (Genesis 1:24–27).

This account is severely abbreviated and leaves much out, but another passage confirms that it was the voice of God by which creation took place. Breaking into a thought in Psalm 148, we read:

Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created (Psalm 148:4–5).

And then there is Hebrews 1:2–3.

[God] has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and [notice this] upholding all things by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:2-3).

The debate over how life began has huge implications. The late William Provine, a professor of biology at Cornell University, explains the evolutionists’ perspective.

Let me summarize my views on what modern evolutionary biology tells us loud and clear. There is no life after death. When I die, I am absolutely certain that I am going to be dead. That’s the end of me. There is no ultimate foundation for ethics, no ultimate meaning in life, and no free will for humans, either (“Darwinism: Science or Naturalistic Philosophy?”, William B. Provine, Debate at Stanford University, April 30, 1994).

What a dark, hopeless, and purposeless state of mind, but it is one thing to believe something—quite another to prove it.

But in this last portion of our program, I want to explore one possibility of how God could bring about life on this planet. As we saw in the previous segment (Genesis 1:24):

God spoke and it was done.

And:

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth (Psalm 33:6).

And:

He upholds all things by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3).

Compare God’s Creation and Man’s Creation (A.I.)

But exactly how did God do it? Did kidneys and lungs, spleens and hearts, magically appear without God consciously designing them?

We have a technology that may at least help us imagine what this may have been like. While it has been in the background for several years, it’s only in recent times that we, the public, have become aware of the power of artificial intelligence. And while it is a terribly weak analogy, it may help us begin to have a sense of what it was like for God to create life.

Today’s A.I. platforms seem very powerful and creative. Ask an A.I. program for a picture of diving cats, and it will generate one on your computer screen. You see different species of cats doing somersaults off a diving board into the water. The cats are, of course, not real.

Computer programmers can describe new applications, and A.I. writes the code for them. Students use A.I. to write term papers. They type in guidelines regarding the subject, the style to be written in, the word count, etc., and A.I. generates the thesis—not always accurately, and sometimes not without bias.

Yet these A.I. platforms cannot truly create anything on their own. Instead, they have been trained using vast collections of mankind’s knowledge: art, literature, scientific publications and much more. A.I. is doing the work, but A.I. is powered by the sum of human knowledge and creativity.

God’s Ways Are Above Our Ways

Yet the mind of God is far greater than all of mankind’s combined knowledge. Let me remind you of the Bill Bryson quote given earlier in this program.

You could call together all the brainiest people who are alive now or have ever lived and endow them with the complete sum of human knowledge, and they could not between them make a single living cell (The Body: A Guide for Occupants, Bill Bryson, p. 4).

In our analogy—as imperfect as it is—the mind of God is a reservoir of knowledge far greater than man can amass. God could have thought through, planned, and designed every detail of life, from the intricacies of cellular structures to the complexities of life’s chemical processes. He had to design—as it were, write—the code of life—DNA. With all that planned out, He could then simply speak the instructions, and instead of an image on a computer screen appearing, real lifeforms appeared at His command, according to the very designs He had planned.

The point is that while A.I. may be a terribly flawed analogy, it can help us to see how every detail of life could be planned out in the mind of God prior to speaking the word. And when He did speak, the elements of the universe He created obeyed His instructions. God’s mind and power are vastly superior to ours.

Life did not happen by chance—it’s far too complicated for that, and scientists know it. Only the mind of God, along with His endless power, could create life.

One of my favorite quotes comes from Michael Behe in the context of modern discoveries revealing the incredible complexity of cellular life. He writes:

The result of these cumulative efforts to investigate the cell—to investigate life at the molecular level—is a loud, clear, piercing cry of “design!” The result is so unambiguous and so significant that it must be ranked as one of the greatest achievements in the history of science…. This triumph of science should evoke cries of “Eureka!” from ten thousand throats, should occasion much hand-slapping and high-fiving, and perhaps even be an excuse to take a day off.

But no bottles have been uncorked, no hands slapped. Instead, a curious, embarrassed silence surrounds the stark complexity of the cell. When the subject comes up in public, feet start to shuffle, and breathing gets a bit labored. In private people are a bit more relaxed; many explicitly admit the obvious but then stare at the ground, shake their heads, and let it go at that.

Why does the scientific community not greedily embrace its startling discovery? Why is the observation of design handled with intellectual gloves? The dilemma is that while one side of the elephant is labeled intelligent design, the other side might be labeled God (Darwin’s Black Box, Michael Behe, pp. 232–233).

Thanks for watching.

If you found this video helpful, check out more of our content or hit subscribe to stay up to date on what we publish. And if you want the free study guide related to this topic, just click the link in the description. See you in the next video.