Dear Associates, Students and Friends:

Here we are at the beginning of a New Year, and in two years time we will experience the start of the New Century, and even a New Millennium. What we need to realize is the fact that we live in momentous times. There is not the slightest doubt in my mind that we are just entering the period that the Holy Scriptures prophesy as the Time of the End. At the conclusion of that defined period is a span of seven years in which the main prophecies in the Book of Revelation will take place (and the terminal ones in the Book of Daniel will see fulfillment). If the chronological indications of the Scriptures are correctly understood, it seems that we have at least thirty years left before the Second Advent of Christ. A lot of prophetic events have to take place before that time, and I think we are on the threshold of witnessing them in all their glory and majesty.

One of the most important things that will occur very soon is the production of the Holy Scriptures in their inspired order and arrangement (with a brand new, accurate translation). This will set the pace for the restoration of the message of the Gospel in its full glory. We are told in no uncertain terms that God is going to send a "spirit of supplication" in a supernatural way that will make the people of Jerusalem (both Jews, Muslims and Christians) return to a belief in the real Christ Jesus of the New Testament rather than this idolatrous type of "churchianity" that the western world has been saddled with since the time of Constantine in the early fourth century. I have written extensively on this reformation in the past (but see Zechariah 12:10 through 13:6 for some introductory scriptures that show it). This generation just on the horizon will see the beginning (and finishing) of what the Protestant Reformation began to do some 500 years ago but the leaders were unable to complete. You and I are going to be a part (under God’s miraculous working power) in bringing back the whole world to the true knowledge of Christ Jesus and the pristine teachings of God that are found in the Holy Scriptures. Get ready for some exciting times. You are going to be personally involved. Now is the time to understand the Bible.

Even what is happening right now, is significant in my view. I am writing this Communicator on December 15, 1998 (we have to get each Communicator and Doctrinal Report to our printer/mailing center by this early date so they can send it to you just before the end of the month). Almost all the news that I am hearing and seeing on TV or in the papers or Internet is about the coming impeachment proceedings against President Clinton. From my own point of view, he has done an injustice to the American people and the world (since the USA is supposed to be the leader of the western world) by lying about his affair with the White House intern (and by obstructing justice in trying to cover it up). This is a sad spectacle to behold and I am grieved over it personally. But yet, at the same time, I see the hand of God in it because I understand the real meaning of prophecy for the days that are just ahead of us. And lets face it, folks, the Scriptures tell us plainly that though this is Satan’s world, it is still God who has the over-all rule and He tells us that He deals with the rulers of this world in effectively carrying out His plan for the salvation of mankind. And, as far as these current affairs are concerned, I believe that God has caused these very things to happen (remember Isaiah 45:7).

In response to what was happening in the President Clinton affair, I wrote my November Communicator and titled my article: "Sex, Sex and More Sex" with a Doctrinal Report titled: "How God Views Sex?" I saw in the political environment a wonderful opportunity to touch on a subject that every theologian that I have ever known would avoid with a ten foot pole. And they have told me so! The thing with me, however, is that I am not like most of the other theologians, preachers, ministers or priests (who avoid certain subjects of the Bible like the plague). I feel that my readers are adults and that they are capable of understanding (without offense) what some of the teachings of the Scriptures reveal. These may be very "touchy" and "emotional" subjects. The main topic I wanted to discuss was that of God’s view of SEX in the Holy Scriptures. So, I wrote the two articles (and even included a bit on the practice of polygamy by God and some of the patriarchs, kings and prophets of the Scripture—including material about such social customs when Christ returns at His Second Advent).

Now I am not a polygamist, nor do I advocate it as a custom for us today, but I am an honest and sincere theologian that wants to understand all the doctrines, prophecies and customs of God that He reveals in His Holy Scriptures (which are the joy and love of my life). Why, if the customs that prevailed in the biblical periods (and sanctioned within the Holy Scriptures themselves) were in action today, President Clinton could have saved himself and the whole nation (and world) the grief of having him lying to the American people and obstructing justice. That’s right. According to the rules found in the Scriptures, Clinton could have gone to Hilary and told her he was going to marry another woman who was an intern at the White House. He would have engaged Billy Graham to come to the White House and on national TV he could have married the woman. Of course, he would have then had two wives at one time (rather than as we do it, one after the other) and he would have had the American people behind him (at least those who are Bible believers). More important, he would not have had to lie to us or obstruct justice in any way. That is what King David and King Solomon would have done (and, in fact, that is precisely what they did). Appropriately, this would have been without the slightest censure by God the Father or Christ Jesus. Why? Because such an act is allowed in the Bible, and in some cases it was demanded.

Why do I bring this up? That is easy to explain. I see it as a wonderful set of circumstances to get people to look once again at the Holy Scriptures. They need to see what the Scriptures actually state, rather than believing the preachers and priests who no more teach the customs of the Bible than a billy goat. What I thought proper (and still do) is to SHOCK people with some facts from the Scriptures. I would love to SHOCK the Baptists, the Catholics, the Pentecostals, and also the whole of the United States Congress, the Houses of Parliament in England and Canada, and the President of the United States, and ALL his accusers. In fact, I want to SHOCK the whole world so that they will finally stop teaching WHAT THEY THINK IS BIBLICAL TEACHING, and get down to the facts. Let me tell you the truth. I may not know it all (and I don’t), but for 45 years of studying the Holy Scriptures and trying to get the leaders of church denominations, chancellors of colleges and universities, preachers, priests and other ecclesiastical authorities to openly view ALL MATTERS in the Scriptures, I wrote what I did. And I will continue to do so until this world wakes up and begins to see what the Scriptures teach.

Most people would be SHOCKED if they really knew what the Holy Scriptures teach. I knew that some would be SHOCKED at the polygamy matter, and that is precisely the reaction I wanted. Now, it is time to get down to serious study on these matters, so that we can all begin to understand the other teachings of the Bible that are profoundly important and essential to know. I want to keep on SHOCKING the world until they finally "blow the dust off their Bibles" and begin to see the truth. That is my intent, and I pray that all of you on the Mailing List of ASK (and who read my material on the Internet) will be behind my efforts to SHOCK, SHOCK, SHOCK this world until they turn their attention back to God and His Holy Scriptures. I hope they try their best to put me down and show me where I am wrong. Get going, folks, that is precisely what I want all of my critics to do. The sooner they begin to criticize, the better I will like it. That way we can get the ball rolling. The fact is, it is simple to read what the Scriptures state. I know what the truth is. I truly hope you who read my writings produced by ASK will be behind me (with my dear wife Ramona) in this quest. We have gone over to a new system of mailing in November (that truly helps us at the ASK office), but the confusion in the change over caused some of you not to send in your contributions for that month, and our income to do the work went down very much. We need your continued support to keep the work of ASK going.

We need your financial and prayerful help as never before. There are two areas where we are growing and a lot of good is being done. One is our Internet presence. Many new people who have never heard of us before are beginning to understand the truths of God by ordering our books and material from exposure on the Internet. We do not charge for any one to read our material on the Internet. That is what we might call our "missionary" effort to help people in the world get the Gospel FREE. But it takes a good deal of funds to operate the Internet site, and we need your contributions over and beyond what you send for your own Communicator and Doctrinal Reports. We also have many prisoners in various prisons around the United States who are actively reading our material, holding classes, growing in grace and knowledge in the teachings of Christ. This also must be a FREE service to them (and we send the prisoners what they want FREE), but the means to do this must come from you who can financially support the work of ASK.

To get the Communicator and the concluding material on the Manifesto (the footnotes) for February, you will have to send back your coupon. We need your contributions that will help us to get the job done on the Internet, prisons, etc. Yes, I plan to continue to SHOCK, but in a nice way that will get people to return once again to the teachings of the Scriptures. Thank you for your encouragement and support. Until next month,

Ernest L. Martin