From before the time of Christ, there have been rumors of a secret society called The Illuminati...a vicious tribe of Druids with mystical, supernatural powers. Many saw them as demons or gods. Those who opposed them simply disappeared...or met an even worse fate.
Unknown to all but the very few, this group slowly infiltrated world organizations and financial institutions with a singular goal--to control the world's economic system.
Now fast-forward to the year 2020. The Illuminati has succeeded in placing one of their people in the office of the presidency of the United States. With the worldwide launch of a financial system known as Data-Net, they suddenly have the power to single out groups of people and control their money, fuel, and food supply. How do you escape an unknown enemy operating at the highest levels who can track your every move? And how do you defeat a society that practices ancient rituals and appears to have power beyond the grave?
The Illuminati is a futuristic thriller tied to ancient mysticism that will appeal to fans of The DaVinci Code and the Left Behind series. It will also leave readers wondering where fact ends and fiction begins.
In The Coming Economic Earthquake (Moody Press, Chicago, I11. * 1991), Burkett delineated growing federal deficits and the ever increasing use of debt by business and households out of control. Burkett points out those severe economic times will appear sometime shortly after the millennium unless current polices are changed. Burkett believed that Keynesian economic policies, with ideals for continuing federal deficits and the implicit preference for higher levels of credit and consumption, reduced saving, and a larger role for government in the economy are a means to disaster. As Burkett states in the book that as interest on the debt consumes a larger and larger portion of the yearly federal budget, and more money is borrowed each year to pay the interest on what was borrowed in previous years, there will be a temptation to "monetize" the debt at an increasing rate leading to a calamity not seen since the Great Depression. Burkett questioned whether or not elected leaders would take action in time to prevent fiscal chaos, and believed they would not. Larry gave no time-line for this prediction, other than a forewarning, foreshadowing current events of the time, with a little common sense added for good measure.
Early Years
Larry Burkett (March 3rd, 1939~July 4th, 2003) was an American author and leading Christian radio personality whose work focused on financial counseling from a Christian point of view. Larry was born in Winter Park, Florida on March 3, 1939, the fifth of eight children. After completing high school in Winter Garden, Florida, he entered the U.S. Air Force where he served with the Strategic Air Command. Upon completion of his military duties, he and his wife Judy returned to central Florida, where he worked in the space program at Cape Canaveral, Florida. He spent the next several years at the space center (NASA) in charge of an experiments test facility that served the Mercury-, Gemini-, and Apollo-manned space programs. While working at the space center, Larry earned degrees in marketing and finance at Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida. Larry left the space center in 1970 to become Vice President of an electronics manufacturing firm.
A Turning Point
In 1972 Larry put his trust and faith in Jesus Christ to guide his life, through the influence of his wife Judy and persistence of Dr. Peter Lord, Titusville, Florida--an event that had a profound effect. In 1973 he left the electronics company to join the staff of a nonprofit ministry, Campus Crusade for Christ at the request of Dr. Bill Bright, as a financial counselor. It was during this time that he began an intense study of what the Bible says about handling money, and he started teaching small groups around the country.
Ministry Is Formed
In 1976 Larry Burkett left the campus ministry to form Christian Financial Concepts, a 501C(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching the biblical principles of handling money. CFC was used as a vehicle to produce audio, video and written Work's for helping individuals, the local Church and main-line Denominations World-wide disseminate God's word with regard to Stewardship principles. In May of 1996, Southwest Baptist University conferred on Larry an Honorary Doctorate in Economics.
Radio Broadcasting
In 1979 Larry became a frequent radio guest of Dr. Jim Dobson founder of Focus On the Family with a widely listened to syndicated radio program. This exposure lead Moody Bible Institute Broadcasting division, Chicago, Illinois to help host, than start Larry's own radio ministry. Larry was a long time host of the four radio programs, "Money Matters," "How to Manage Your Money," "MoneyWatch," and "A Money Minute," which were carried on more than 1,100 radio outlets worldwide.
Larry's Publications
Larry published more than 70 books, sales of which now exceed 12 million copies and include several national best-sellers. Publications by Larry include What Ever Happened to the American Dream, The Coming Economic Earthquake, Your Finances in Changing Times, Business by the Book, The Financial Planning Workbook, Women Leaving the Workplace, Investing for the Future, Debt-Free Living, Great Is Thy Faithfulness, Hope When It Hurts, Nothing to Fear, in which he gave an update on his experiences with cancer and cancer treatments. Larry also wrote four novels: The Illuminati, The THOR Conspiracy, Solar Flare, and Kingdom Come (with T. Davis Bunn). Larry's final book before his death was The Burkett & Blue Definitive Guide to Securing Wealth to Last, and was written with Ron Blue and Jeremy L. White.
Larry also encouraged his eldest son, (Larry "Allen" Burkett, Jr.) as an author to write and produce thirty-two stewardship books and material "penned" under Larry's name. These Work's were for children, teen and parents under the banner: "Larry Burkett's "Money Matters for Kids", "Money Matters for Teens", "Larry Burkett's Stewardship for the Family ~ Time, Talents & Treasures". Some publications by Allen under Larry's name are Financial Parenting, What If I Owned Everything?, Money Planner for Kids, 50 Money Making Ideas for Kids, Teaching Your Child About Money Matters, Me Wonderfully Made, All About Money, Talent and Time Series, How Things Work Series, Pocket Change Series, Great Smoky Mountains Storybook Series, World's Easiest Pocket Guide Series,
His Legacy
Larry's memory is held dear by all those whose lives he touched: his family, his friends, and his ministry partners. He lived a life of Christian kindness and genuine humility. He was always extraordinarily generous. One of the central principles Larry taught is that we don't really own things; we are simply stewards and managers of what God has entrusted to us. In Larry's case, that included the ministry he founded.
Larry Burkett dedicated his life to teaching people biblical financial principles. He poured his life into serving the Lord through this ministry. He loved the ministry, he loved his staff which he believed was an extenuation of his own family... Caring for family first was foremost to laying a rock-solid foundation to ensuing a genuine love for the people who looked to the ministry for help in their time of need. Larry's compassion was so evident. His Radio Listeners could not see him, but could feel, his concern and even his tears for them.
Prior to his death, Larry founded the Larry Burkett Foundation®. The Larry Burkett Foundation® accepts donations to help needy individuals through and promoting organizations such as The National Christian Foundation®, Atlanta, Georgia and Helping Hands Ministries, Inc, Tallulah Falls, Georgia,. Please send your tax-exempt donation to:
Larry Burkett Foundation® 1330 Old Woodbine Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30319-1040
It is clearly obvious that many of those who have posted a review of this book do not understand how the Illuminati operates or they want to keep people from buying this book to keep them in the dark. I encourage you to first do some research on the Illuminati (particularly in relation to 9/11)and then read this book. The book is mind blowing and highly suspensefully from beginning to end. Keep in mind it is a novel and does not clearly lay out information about the Illuminati it simply use brilliant characters to depict how the Illuminati operates. You must read this book if you want to know the truth and as you read it think about the world we live in and what is going on today. Keep in mind this book was originally published in the 70's or 80's and the story is set in the year 2020 10 years from now. The author is a true genius, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!
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I picked up The Illuminati because I am very interested in eschatology or what is more commonly referred to as the "end times" and more specifically, my particular interest lies in a Biblical interpretation of the end of those times. And I love good fiction. And also I have read elsewhere about the existence of an international group of powerful elite policy-makers known as The Illuminati, so I wanted to learn more about them. But this book has seriously let me down on all three counts. Even the title is misleading because it does not really focus on any intelligent discussion of the Illuminati. Seriously, you would be hard-pressed to find a book built upon a more weakly constructed storyline, cookie-cutter characters, and all caving in upon itself with the worst dialogue that I think I have ever come across. If a wall of water 60 feet high were about to roll on top of two of Burkett's characters, I'm sure they would turn to each other, grasp hands, and say... "Quick, let's run!"
Well, it's unfortunate, because he has chosen a very serious topic to write a poor book about. It will make many people take the real issues that are here MIS-represented less seriously. Burkett has written tremendous (and I think the very best) books about personal financial management, but The Illuminati proves that fiction is a genre wherein he ought not to have strayed.
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An interesting plot, quite easy to read although very religious(directly describing the anti-christ, heaven/hell etc. - the author isobviously a devout christian) and somewhat too exaggerated and farfetched at times. The author certainly has a vivid imagination though - it is amazing (although thoroughly unbelievable) all the worldshaking events that he described happening in just the space of the next 10 years.
The characters are interesting and well thought out, although the author has an annoying habit of giving ALL of the characters names, however important or unimportant they may be. This results in the reader reading half the book before he realises which characters are important and which are not.
This book is however worth reading if you're interested in plots, conspiricies etc. Disappointingly, however, it does not tell you very much about the Illuminati.
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