Wikipedia defines endangered species as a population of organisms which is facing a high risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters.

There are those species that are already extinct, those that are extinct in the wild, those which are critically endangered, then the endangered, and then the vulnerable.

EndangeredSpecie.com is a website dedicated to “providing all the best endangered species information, links, books, and publications regarding rare and endangered species.  This site also includes information about conservation efforts and endangered species organizations that are dedicated to saving and preserving the world’s most endangered wildlife and plant life.”

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service there are 746 species of plants and 516 species of animals on the endangered species list in North America alone.

Money raising schemes abound to try and help so many worthy causes.

Without belittling the hard work and efforts of these fine organisations, there is an endangered species which is of far greater importance than any they may represent.   And that is the true Christian, those whom God has called at this time to live His Way of Life and who will become part of His Family at the time of Christ’s return.

We are preparing to keep the Passover in just over two weeks’ time, and most people will have very little knowledge, if any, of what this means.   The secular society will still be keeping Easter as a holiday, and the Days of Unleavened Bread will mean absolutely nothing to them.   Even churchgoers would probably find it incomprehensible, as we follow the clear instructions in the Word of God.

We see almost daily the constant barrage of anti-biblical rulings, antagonism and antipathy towards true Christianity that would not have even been considered that long ago.   But as we approach the time when Christ must return to save mankind from blowing itself off the face of the planet, the correct reading of Scripture shows that this is inevitable.  

We should not be surprised as we have not been promised an easy life.   God has to find out about us and we are tested and tried in many different ways and, being an endangered species at the end time, is part of that process.

In 1 Corinthians 12:26 we read: “And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”   The word “honour” can mean “to render (or esteem) glorious, to honour, magnify.”

Church members are regularly asked to pray for those going through difficult trials which may be in the area of health, injury, financial, spiritual or other significant problems.   Many times we may be able to empathise, having gone through similar trials ourselves.   If not, we try and sympathise and pray for those involved, trusting God to work out the situation in their best interests.   In such circumstances, it may be relatively easy to implement a prayer request and relate to those going through their difficult times.

However, how easy is it to be pleased and uplifted when a member is honoured in some way like getting a new, highly paid job or being promoted at work?   What about those who are able to move to a bigger home, buy a new car, enjoy nice holidays or send their children to a private school?    Whilst the majority in the Church may not fit into these categories, what about those who are called into the Church who are wealthy or who have position or prestige in the community?    Does any such situation make us happy to rejoice with them?   This may not be quite so easy for some, as envy or coveting can rear their ugly heads.

Envy is “a resentment” which “occurs when someone lacks another’s quality, achievement or possession and wishes that the other lacked it” (compare Wikipedia).

I recall a situation where many years ago, a senior minister was visiting our local congregation.   The Church had provided the senior minister with a nice car for his use during the time of his employment, which he thought might cause a problem with a member or members of the congregation. How well did he know the approach and mentality of a few!   After all, they reasoned, this was their tithe money being spent in a way of which they may not approve.   Some members seem to feel that they have to “supervise” the use of the tithes they have sent in to the Church. They obviously had not considered two very important points.   Firstly, we are all instructed in 1 Timothy 5:17: “Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine”.   Secondly, once we have paid our tithes, our responsibility in that area has finished.   Those who have the responsibility in the Church to use those tithes will be judged according to how well they will have executed that part of their Church related responsibilities.  

Empathising with someone who is less fortunate than we may be seems to be very much easier than with those who may seem to be in a more advantageous state than that which we may be enjoying.

“A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones” (Proverbs 14:30) and in the first chapter of Romans Paul is writing about those who are “being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers” (verse 29).

Coveting is also a no-go area (Exodus 20:17).   Yearn is to possess or have (something); crave, desire, hanker or lust (compare Wikipedia).   One writer put it this way: “Coveting is a devious desire that is complex and complicated, which is often well concealed. The heart, we are told, is deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9).  We must expect that covetousness, which is a matter of the heart, is deceitful and deceptive, and that it may be well disguised. The bottom line is simply this: sin is more often a problem with our heart (coveting) than it is a problem with our mind (knowledge).”

In an English newspaper very recently, a journalist wrote a small piece headed, “Don’t Be Jealous of Success”.   She said: “Feeling envious of someone?   Does someone you know have something you have?   Instead of letting the green eyed monster devour your happiness see it as a call to arms.  What is it that you want and need that they have?   How can you get that for yourself?   How will it help you?   When our own cups overflow with good fortune we can give to others from our excess of goodwill, easily, effortlessly and generously.   If you are feeling resentful of the good fortune of others you need to be grateful for what you actually have, count your own blessings, wish that person well and commit to filling your perceived deficit with positive action rather than negative begrudgement – and if that isn’t a word, it should be!”

Another paragraph from an entirely different secular source said: “It’s high time we stopped wasting moral or mental energy in being jealous of the very rich.   They are no happier than anyone else; they just have more money.   We shouldn’t bother ourselves about why they want all this money, or why it is nicer to have a bath with gold taps.   How does it hurt me, with my 20 year old Toyota, if someone else has a swish car?   We both get stuck in the same traffic”.

Envy and coveting must never be our approach.

Let us suffer with the members when appropriate and rejoice also with them when the occasion arises.

We are told that many people have a calling in this life when they feel the call to the clergy, the medical profession, the sciences or many other careers.  However, the greatest calling of all is afforded to those called and chosen by God.   It is a privilege, not to be underestimated in any way. Being a true Christian carries many duties, obligations and requirements.

The Church of God should be a homogenous group, all pulling in the same direction, with the same goal of growing and overcoming, so that we “may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36).   In order to achieve that goal, we must pull together as the people of God, not pull apart.  

I have noted over my 40 years in the church that some members are too quick to spot what they see as a problem, use it as an excuse to disappear to another Church of God group and then it can happen all over again in their new place.   And, the same can be said of a minister who wants to be in charge – he just finds a reason to leave and set up his own group – and the number of groups proliferate!   I don’t believe for a minute that it’s a practice that is pleasing in God’s sight.   We will all have to answer for what we do – and don’t do – and we had better be very careful.   The problem with people not getting on together is not a new one – in fact such problems are as old as the hills.

In his paper, “Neuropsychology of Conflict: Implications for peacemaking,” Douglas E. Noll makes these observations:   “Foreign policy was based on the assumption that rational beings could sit together and work through international disputes and conflicts. Economists built an entire field of study on the assumption that consumers acted ‘rationally’ in maximizing their utility. People engaged in peacemaking, from the interpersonal to the international level, assumed that despite the emotions of conflict, people fundamentally were rational.

“The truth is that we are 98 percent emotional and about two percent rational. Thus, the assumptions underlying many disciplines and practices, especially peacemaking, need significant revisions. By being reactive, we might reject the problem, give up, or feel inadequate to deal with the problem. If the problem is persistent, we might struggle or exit. As the conflict develops, we perceive it as a threat, and we may blame, attack or withdraw. These behaviours constitute our fear reaction system.”

These comments, whilst mainly addressing a secular viewpoint, are nevertheless equally important in the lives of those of us engaged in the Christian way of life.

When there is such an eclectic mix within a church group, it should be easy to see that if our conversion leaves something to be desired, then there is quite a capacity or possibility of potential problems with others.   But it should not be so.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).   Getting on together means seeking peace at every opportunity!    Do we try and make peace or are we always right in our own minds, irrespective of the other viewpoint?   In other words, can we be entreated and sort out, quietly and patiently, whatever stands in our way of being unified with other brethren?

Let us never forget that Satan is in the mix, stirring people up whenever and wherever he can, and he is the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10).   If we think that none of this applies to us, then we had better be careful because anyone who thinks that he stands should “take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

And if we can’t get on together, then we are hardly in the business of letting our lights shine (compare Matthew 5:16).  

We see world events coming to a climax with seemingly little time left before Christ’s return, and it is futile to concentrate on anything that will detract us from looking forward to that wonderful event and all that it means.   We simply don’t have time to waste our energy on unfruitful exercises, unnecessary conflicts and ungodly practices.   If we do get involved in such action, then we will be playing straight into Satan’s hands.   He is angry and “walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).   We are told to be sober and vigilant but often fall prey to the adversary’s clever tactics.   We haven’t any time for that; all of our time should be spent on living God’s way and doing as His Word instructs us.

But none of what I’ve written today should be news to us.   We know what we should do, but how much do we practice it?  

The answer may be a matter of life and death!

In July’s monthly member letter this year, I bemoaned the leadership problems in the world today.   I mentioned that “Good, true and godly leadership is what this world of ours is crying out for”.    You might say that this editorial is an addendum to that letter where generalisations were made, but without giving any specifics.

This train of thought was helped when I received an e-mail with some comments by Jeff Foxworthy, an American comedian, television and radio personality and author.   His piece was headed “A Country Founded by Geniuses but Run by Idiots” (his wording, not mine).  He was talking about the USA but it could easily apply to the UK and many other countries.   In this he said, and for brevity I will only list three of a number of absurdities that he listed:

·  If you have to get your parents’ permission to go on a field trip or to take an aspirin in school, but not to get an abortion — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

·  If your government believes that the best way to eradicate trillions of dollars of debt is to spend trillions more…

·  If an 80-year-old woman or a three-year-old girl who is confined to a wheelchair can be strip-searched by the TSA at the airport, but a woman in a burka or a hijab is only subject to having her neck and head searched…

And then he finishes up by saying “How about we give God a reason to continue blessing America!”   I think that we have long since passed that time.

On June 10th 2013, the New York Times reported that “The Obama administration has decided to stop trying to block over-the-counter availability of the best-known morning-after contraceptive pill for all women and girls, a move fraught with political repercussions for President Obama.”   The article went on to say: “In its letter to the court, the Justice Department outlined the procedural steps that the F.D.A. plans to take. It said the maker of Plan B One-Step, Teva Pharmaceuticals, has been asked to ‘promptly’ file an application asking for no age or sales restrictions, and that the ‘F.D.A. will approve it without delay.’”

That means that any female (irrespective of age) will be able to buy this pill thus encouraging and increasing illegitimate sexual conduct and abortions, which are abominations to the great God.

Another nonsense is the supposed re-defining of marriage.   The traditional definition is “The formal union of a man and a woman, typically recognized by law, by which they become husband and wife.”   Now our leadership wants this to include homosexuals and lesbians and is pursuing this vigorously.   With leadership like this, it is little wonder that countries are experiencing sky rocketing problems.

What I’ve mentioned today is not even the tip of the iceberg.   You will probably know, as well as I do, that there is very much more that could be said about anti-God, perverse and ridiculous legislation that turns common sense on its head and makes wrong seem right and bad seem good.  It oozes out of government, national and local, at every opportunity.   We read this in Isaiah 5:20: “Woe unto them that call evil good and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”  Woe to them indicates that the future will not be bright for those who promote or engage in such activities.

We have just kept the Feast of Tabernacles which pictures the coming reign of Jesus Christ on this earth.   Then there will be no leadership problems at all.   But until then, in this world, do we have leadership problems?   There’s proof galore for those with eyes to see and ears to hear!