The closer you are to God, the more immediately He can respond to any issue or trials you may be going through. Peter’s example of walking on water is evidence of this. We read in Matthew 14:28-31: “And Peter answered Him and said, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ So He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.  But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’  And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’”

Even though Peter began to sink, he was already so close to Christ that He reached out and saved him from drowning. 

It is important for us to remain close to God in order to get such a response when facing trials or imminent danger. Prayer is one tool given to us by God to achieve such a state. We read about Christ getting up early and going to a quiet place to pray. “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed” (Mark 1:35).

He did this to remain close to his Father, the Most High God. We have other examples of God’s servants who prayed regularly to maintain close contact with God. Daniel 6:10 tells us: “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed [prohibiting to pray to God], 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.”

Notice, this was his daily habit since early days. 

With all the distractions in this day and age, we must not neglect to follow the examples left to us in the Bible for our own good. 1 Thessalonians  5:17 encourages us to “pray without ceasing.” This is an admonishment to persist in prayer even when it is not answered immediately by God. 

Certain frustration may set in when prayers are not answered in what we may feel is an adequate time. In some cases, they may not be answered in the way we want them to, as shown in Paul’s request to be healed by what appears to be some eye issue.  What did Christ say to him? “Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:8-9). 

So, the reality is we may not get the answer we expect now; and when it comes to healing, some of us may have to wait until the resurrection for God to fulfill His promise of healing. That doesn’t mean we should ask God for healing once and not ask again. Rather, we should be persistent as shown in the parable below.

Luke 18:1-6 reads:  “Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: ‘There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, “Get justice for me from my adversary.” And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, “Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.” Then the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unjust judge said.’””

Furthermore, when praying about someone, we should continue until God heals them or until He makes it clear that He will not do so in this life, as He did in the case of the Apostle Paul. 

Prayer is a powerful tool we have in order to maintain a close relationship with God; so let us ensure we are not letting down in this important area of our lives.

Following the news can be somewhat depressing when you read about what is happening in this world and our nations. The war is still going on in Ukraine, with bombs destroying residential buildings which have nothing to do with the war, and innocent men, women and children are killed who are also not involved in the war, but are victims of the senseless killing associated with war. The Iranian regime has killed over 20,000 of its people for protesting and wanting a better life. The Iran war is still dragging on, with no clear goal and no end in sight, and many innocent people have been killed in the process as well. The same can be said about Israel’s continuing war with Lebanon.

The brutality of how North Korea executes people with the use of hammers and other cruel methods, for as little as falling asleep during the leader’s speech, is appalling. A Senator questioned a pro-life activist and asked the woman which method of abortion she preferred, describing four barbaric and evil methods used by abortion clinics too gruesome to describe in this Editorial. It makes one sick to read about their methods of murdering the unborn. Every day you hear about shootings in some major cities where an innocent child was killed in the crossfire of gangs, and seniors are being pushed onto subway railway tracks. An innocent woman was stabbed to death on a subway train, minding her own business and just trying to get to her destination. There are no-go zones in some cities because of the danger of injury or death.

What is this world coming to?

Thankfully, one of the first things Christ will do at His return is to put an end to war by totally crushing the armies gathering around Jerusalem. The only language which this war-adoring world understands is overwhelming godly power. You can read the encouraging outcome in Isaiah 2:4: “He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.”

Children will not be taught from their youth to hate people of other ethnic or national backgrounds they may feel superior to, including the Jews, the Muslims, the Americans, the Russians, the Germans, the Mexicans, the Japanese or the Chinese, just to name a few. They will turn their swords, battleships, tanks, war planes, and missiles into implements of peace. Nuclear bombs will be destroyed or perhaps neutralized, if possible, to put the metal to good use. Arms will be burnt.

In the book of Ezekiel, Far Eastern nations are described to invade the Promised Land shortly after Christ’s return. But Christ will make a swift end to that futile attempt. Ezekiel 39:9 states: “Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and bucklers, the bows and arrows, the javelins and spears; and they will make fires with them for seven years.”

The bombed cities will be rebuilt. Isaiah 61:4 says: “And they shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise up the former desolations, And they shall repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations.”

Instead of devising ways to kill people, mankind will use their energies and talents to rebuild the ruins and supply everything needed in houses to be functional for the use of families.

Will the streets be safe? Zechariah 8:3-5 tells us: “Thus says the LORD: ‘I will return to Zion, And dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, The Mountain of the LORD of hosts, The Holy Mountain.’ “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sit In the streets of Jerusalem, Each one with his staff in his hand Because of great age. The streets of the city Shall be full of boys and girls Playing in its streets.’”

Quite a contrast from what we see today.

You can understand why it mentions the creation “crying out” for better things to come, as described, figuratively, in Romans 8:19-23:

“For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption [better: sonship], the redemption of our body.”

The creation “groans” for better things, and so do we. We look forward to the return of Christ to put an end to this madness in this evil world ruled by Satan.

Let’s not forget our crucial part in this future process by fervently praying to the Most High God, “Your kingdom come!”—which cannot come soon enough for us and the whole world.

Mr. Armstrong stated many times that your spiritual growth is linked directly to your dedication and involvement in the Work of God by supporting the effort to get the Gospel of the Kingdom of God out to the world as a witness, coupled with the warning of imminent destruction of the modern nations of the ancient House of Israel. These nations include the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, who can trace their lineage back to the children of Jacob, who had his name changed to Israel.

This Work is the most important work on the face of the earth which may lead to trials of mocking and persecution and in some cases martyrdom but for those who faithfully pursue this challenge to the end of their life or the return of Christ, whichever comes first, a great potential as resurrected children of God awaits them with the opportunity to rule with Christ during the Millennium and on into eternity for whatever God in His divine wisdom has in store for them.

Staying focused on this task is really a challenge in this day and age with all the distractions and temptations Satan likes to throw at us. We have to be aware of this as stated by Paul in 2 Corinthians 2:10-11: “Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

This was in reference to a member who had to be chastised, but following that, Paul was admonishing the brethren to forgive him, as they were aware of Satan’s devices.

Satan is not out to encourage us to faithfully push through trials we all face but wants us to get discouraged, weary and hopefully quit and potentially lose out on salvation if leaving the Truth is not repented of.

As the god of this world, he will do everything in his power to trip us up, who has polluted every aspect of society, including music, movies, books, church doctrines of this world, which teach a false Christ and Sunday worship, arts and language. He is the prince of the power of the air, and his footprint is everywhere and his influence is great.

The solution is his removal which will occur at the return of Christ, and his influence will cease until he will be used by Christ at the end of the Millennium to tempt mankind one more time. Afterwards, he will be dealt with by God, never again to influence mankind.

In the meantime, the question is: “Where is our heart?”

Deuteronomy 6:5 tells us: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”

Fulfilling this takes time and effort on our part. This means that we have to diligently use the tools God has given us to accomplish this task, since it is possible for us to be successful. These tools include prayer, bible study, meditation and occasional fasting. There is no fast-tracking into the Kingdom of God; the path requires dedication and commitment on our part, but the outcome and the reward are really worth it.

You have to make the effort to draw close to God.  Then what will happen? 

James 4:8 says: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” 

The result is that God will draw close to you. The more you overcome sin which acts as a barrier and resistance, the more you can draw close to the Father and to Christ, and they will be close to you.

People are totally deceived who practice sin, including worshipping on the wrong day and breaking His commandments, sometimes with impunity, and who still think they have a close relationship with Christ and God the Father.

Thankfully, one day God will remove the veil from their eyes. They will be called and given the opportunity we now have. Let’s be grateful for that.

Matthew 6:19-21 admonishes us:  “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Treasures in heaven are building a strong relationship with God and Christ while our hearts have to be in the Work of God for us to truly fulfill our destiny and receive our glorious reward of a golden crown and rulership in the kingdom of God.

“A Man for All Seasons” was a movie that was released in the 1960’s, based on the true story about the final years of Sir Thomas More, a 16^th century lawyer, devout Catholic and Lord Chancellor of England who was executed for refusing to support King Henry VIII’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon and his subsequent marriage and to take an Oath of Supremacy, declaring King Henry Supreme Head of the Church of England.

He showed moral standards and refused to buckle under pressure from the King to maintain his integrity even to the point of decapitation. He was willing to die for his convictions, and in the movie, he paid his executioner money before being beheaded, this being a practice in the 16th century.

Regardless of all his noble and high moral standards, there is one man in history who really was “A Man for All Seasons,” and that is the Man Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

To become a Man, He gave up His divinity for a time. He was immortal and eternal. He had power and authority. He was the Son of God. He had created all things under God the Father, both physical as the universe and mankind, and spiritual as angels and everything else existing in the spirit realm [excluding, of course, the Father], including thrones, instruments of music, golden bowls etc., as we can read in Revelation 5:8: “Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders [angelic beings] fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”

Think about what He gave up! It would be somewhat comparable [even though the comparison is enormously lacking] to a very wealthy man from a rich and prosperous family used to everything imaginable with a life of luxury, to become homeless, begging for food and sleeping on the sidewalk.

He, as a human, was subject to pain, mockery, temptation from Satan, the world and His human desires, and through it all, He never sinned and prevailed with flying colours (Matthew 4:1-11).

You could just see Satan taunting Christ: “Why go through all that suffering and die, when you can have it all now? Just fall down and worship me.”

Christ rebuked him, using Scripture: “Jesus said to him, ‘It is written again, “YOU SHALL NOT TEMPT THE LORD YOUR GOD’” (Matthew 4:7).

He had compassion on the sick, the lame, deaf and blind, and He healed them, even when knowing not all would show appreciation for their healing. Luke 17:11-19 reports the following:

“Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.   And they lifted up their voices and said, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’  So when He saw them, He said to them, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.

“So Jesus answered and said, ‘Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?’ And He said to him, ‘Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.’”

He never wanted to put the spotlight on Himself, but He gave credit to God. “Then Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner’” (John 5:19).

He was subject to God’s Will even when facing death: “He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will’” (Matthew 26:39).

Nobody on this earth would want to go through the beatings, scourging, punches to the face and mockery Christ would have to face, plus hanging on the cross for six hours and then being pierced with a sword to end His life. He knew ahead of time that all of this would happen to Him. Yet He did all of this for us; so how much do we appreciate His Sacrifice, pain, suffering and death so that we could be saved and become members of the God Family?

We should thank Him for His Sacrifice and service and also thank God the Father as hard as it was for Him to look away from or “forsake” Christ for a moment, when shortly before His death on the cross, He was carrying all the sins of the world, so that God’s Plan could be accomplished and that we would have a true “Man for All Seasons” and a loving compassionate High Priest and Saviour.