By Gerald Flurry

If you missed part one, click here to read it.

Follow Leadership

In the book Addicted to Danger, the authors highlight the need for strong leadership on an expedition to make it all the way to the top. If you are to make it to the top, you will need to look to strong leadership. You must know if someone is telling you what Jesus Christ says. Allow people to lead you away from Him and you’ll get killed as you climb the mountain.

Now, don’t be discouraged. If you’ve found yourself slipping, God is merciful—if you repent. He will give you a chance to redeem yourself if you are serious about living the way He says.

Familiarize yourself with Matthew 24. Most religious teachers today talk a lot about the gospels (the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), but not much about Matthew 24. In this chapter, Jesus Christ gives a brief synopsis of the events to occur immediately prior to His return to earth. The first warning He gives is for you to not be led away from His truth because of false ­leaders (verse 5).

Verse 12 states, “And because iniquity [or lawlessness] shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” Young people must learn what real love is. This magazine may be corrective at times, but only because we love you. We want to help you reach the summit. We want to tell you when you are about to slip off the mountain. But we can’t pull you up there ourselves. You need to respond to God’s leaders, accept loving correction, and continue climbing.

This world loves to talk about love. Yet, look around you. Vio­lence, crime, war, divorce—these problems are getting worse. That is not love! But what did Christ say about this end time? The love of many will grow cold. Oh sure, people may still talk about love. They may talk about climbing the mountain, but reaching the summit requires action!

“But he that shall endure unto the end [or the mountain summit], the same shall be saved” (verse 13). Jim Wickwire states about one of the mountains he was climbing, “After about 300 feet I determined it was safe to crampon across the mountain’s upper north face toward Colonel Steve. I had just begun our traverse when I heard a sharp, scraping sound. As I spun around I saw Al on his stomach, sliding headfirst down a 40 degree slope. Steve thought he saw Al and Dusan, still roped together, slow down before disappearing down a narrow gully. ‘Maybe they had landed on a ledge. We’ve got to descend fast if we’re going to help them,’ I insisted. Belayed by Steve, I climbed down to a dome of snow where I could see all the way to the Gilman glacier, 4,000 feet below. Shaped like a V, the steep gulley had rock outcrops on the left side, snow on the right, but no ledge. No one could survive such a fall. Looking down the gulley I felt sick. Dusan! Al! I yelled pointlessly, knowing I would hear no answers.”

The book then discusses why these climbers might have fallen. “These friends died right in front of me. As Steve and I walked away from Peak 8440, I kept asking myself how this could have happened to such competent climbers. Did Al and Dusan disdain the steps I kicked for them to use?”

An interesting observation. He kicked and chipped out steps where they could walk to make it safe for them; but, it appears, they somehow didn’t want to use those steps. And they both died.

How many people have you seen fall headlong into the worst disaster that could ever befall them? Think about that. God wants you to understand this deeply, not to just have an emotional experience.

There once was a man who kicked and chipped out steps for you to walk on. His name was Herbert W. Armstrong. He died in 1986, but you’ll hear a lot about him in this magazine. That’s because he was a spiritual mountain climber. And we want you to follow in the tracks he left behind.

If you like, we will send you your own copy of Mystery of the Ages. It’s written in a simple, straightforward, understandable way. Click here to request your own copy if you don’t have it. Study it—it will help you understand the Bible. It will help you see that the Bible is not an old, outdated manuscript. It was written for today! It was written for you—to help you reach the summit. Any mountain climber needs instruction and teaching. The Bible provides that. Mystery of the Ages puts all of the pieces of the Bible together like a jigsaw puzzle. It will help you understand the Bible. Any young person serious about spiritual mountain climbing needs both—the Bible and Mystery of the Ages.

Click here to read the third and final part of this series.