A while ago, in the UK, a row broke out about the seating position of two presenters in a BBC breakfast programme. Unknown to most people except those concerned with such matters, it appears that the one who sits on the left (as viewed on television) is the more senior of the two presenters. A new male presenter replaced the exiting gentleman and was placed on the left with the existing female presenter, continuing on screen, on the right. A BBC spokesman said: “There is no seniority in terms of who sits where on the BBC Breakfast sofa. It’s all about judging which is the best camera angle for the presenters.” A large sexism row broke out and the outcry, particularly from the female lobby, bordered on the ridiculous. One blamed “deep-rooted misogyny in newsrooms” for the way male presenters are nearly always seated in the position considered more senior on the left. This got me to thinking about man’s (and woman’s) need for position, power, seniority and the need to feel and be important. It would appear that the seating arrangements were far more important than the content of the programme. Whether this was a breakfast programme or a […]

Any life worth living involves encountering difficulties, accepting the challenges, and working in earnest to overcome them. Growth requires us to push our boundaries, press against the edges of our capabilities, and do more with what we have. Learning, being a type of growth, involves accepting that we don’t know something, and seeking out knowledge to increase our understanding. This principle of growth applies in every aspect of our lives. Spiritual growth requires that we continually ask, seek, and knock. Fulfilling our individual purpose in life requires that we find the gaps that prevent us from achieving our goals, and do the uncomfortable work to fill those gaps. A full life is only possible when we invite God in and ask for His help in guiding our growth. When we actively bring God into our life, He is willing to support our growth by coaching us through our challenges. Our relationship with God involves pursuing our divinely ordained purpose in life (compare Romans 8:28). It is our responsibility to search out what that purpose is, and begin to do the work required to fulfill that purpose. But that work must involve the guidance from God. “A man’s heart plans his […]

We have all heard the saying, “Lest you forget!” It can refer to a few things. It can illustrate the fact that if we forget history then we’re doomed to repeat it. It can also let us know there are consequences for forgetting something. At the creation of the Constitution of the United States of America, John Adams, the second president and one of the crafters of the Constitution, said: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” I am going to pull some other quotes from other signers and drafters of the same aforementioned Constitution ( https://www.free2pray.info/6-founderquotes.html ). Benjamin Rush, Signer of the Declaration of Independence said: “[T]he only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be aid in religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments. Without religion, I believe that learning does real mischief to the morals and principles of mankind.” Noah Webster, author of the first American Speller and the first Dictionary, said: “[T]he Christian religion, in its purity, is the basis, […]

Realizing that our lives are in God’s hands and what the outcome is going to be as God sees fit is hard to grasp at times because we are always put to the challenge whether we allow Him to guide and direct our paths, as opposed to doing things strictly ourselves.  But do we realize just how much our lives are in God’s hands?  Or do we sometimes forget, not necessarily in an intentional manner, but our minds can get clouded as all kinds of distractions can set in, causing us to lose our focus?  When we are affected by a trial, we should be able to see that God has a hand in that situation, directly or indirectly, which is necessary for our road to perfection.  We may not think that at the moment a trial has set in, but hopefully we will be able to determine that at some point and realize that there had been a reason for it, which is why God tells us to test ourselves and examine ourselves at ALL times, making sure that we are counted worthy, making sure that our faith is strong enough (2 Corinthians 13:5). God also has a hand […]

Members of the Church of God just returned from celebrating God’s commanded Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day at the place which God had chosen, reminding them, among many other things, that they are strangers and pilgrims on this earth; that their true citizenship is in heaven; and that they are waiting for a better homeland or country to be established here on earth—the peaceful and glorious Kingdom and Government of God,  which will rule all men with peace, justice and LOVE. And still, all of us live right now in a particular country ruled by man. In the USA, the fight for the presidency is in full gear, and the candidates assure us that they love their country, and that its citizens should and must do so as well.  However, “loving our country” means different things to different people.  Depending on their political affiliation and human philosophy, it may mean following the leader without question or reservation, as long as their leader belongs to their party; and it may mean opposing him in every conceivable way if he belongs to the opposite party.  It may mean to some engaging in peaceful or violent demonstrations in an attempt […]

How often do any of us experience feelings of great pleasure and happiness? What events in our lives lead to this kind of joy? Certainly, joy seems hard to come by in our day-to-day living. There is much that dampens or even obliterates our opportunity to live joyful lives. Yet, joy is characteristic of God. It is part of the fruit of His Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Thus it follows that we who have God’s Spirit should also have this godly attribute. Of course, not everything we experience brings joy, but we also know with certainty that we have hope beyond our present circumstances—the promise of salvation. Following the return of seventy disciples sent by Jesus to proclaim the gospel, they told of how even demons were subject to them. While this was important, Jesus pointed to something greater: “‘Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven’” (Luke 10:20). This prospect was what Jesus Himself focused on. It was what enabled Him to rise above the trials of the moment. Note: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, […]

When listening to the news on a typical day in the US right now, we hear about six to ten murders in several major cities, coupled with a dozen or so shootings. Recently, several young children have been killed as a result of the riots and turmoil. One was around eighteen months old. A senior lady walking on the street in the daytime was punched in the head and knocked to the ground for no apparent reason. A similar occurrence happened to a man hit with an object and knocked to the ground.  There are riots and protests every evening, and in some cities it has been going on for months with looting, violence and fires being set ablaze, destroying businesses, and as a result, several police officers have been killed and many more injured. California and Oregon are having the worst forest fires in their history and there is chaos, hatred and violence everywhere. It doesn’t seem to dawn on the mainstream media or on the nation that something is wrong here. The nation is under a curse for its sins. One of the states is trying to introduce a law where sexually assaulting children would be legal as […]

The book of Isaiah is a very informative book in the Bible. It is highly esteemed by the Jews, considered second in importance only to the five books of Moses. It is a book with much encouragement but also many prophecies of punishment for the nations that do not know and obey God. Chapter 40 starts out in verse 1 very positively with “Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” Verse 5 informs us that “The Glory of the LORD shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” This is all very promising and positive. In fact, this will become true when the meaning of the Feast of Trumpets is fulfilled and Christ returns in His full glory. But a very different theme is introduced in verses 6 to 8: “The voice said, ‘Cry out!’ And he said, ‘What shall I cry?’ ‘All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of the LORD blows upon it; Surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, But the Word of our God stands forever.’” Peter quotes this […]

I remember that some time ago in the UK there was some controversy about the merits, or otherwise, of radio and telephone masts. One mobile telephone company wanted to install new aerial transmitters in every region of the country over the following two years in order to give the emergency services a comprehensive new digital communications network.  But, it seemed that there were growing fears about the health risks of the new transmitters, which some experts regarded as more dangerous than conventional mobile telephone masts. Some studies had suggested that radio waves around this frequency could cause calcium to leak from the brain and other tissue.   This in turn could trigger damage to the nervous and immune systems. One biophysicist said that the electromagnetic radiation could also cause mood swings, headaches, sleep disruption and short-term memory loss.   It could even retard the academic development of children. Of course, for every argument, there is always a counter argument.   But the point was that there were those who were concerned and worried about the damage that could be caused by such broadcasting devices. But there is a spiritual parallel and this is what came to my mind.   Worrying about the damage that […]

When we listen to the news, we are bombarded with a never-ending amount of “facts”—all aimed at telling a story from a certain perspective. And the select details that are brought to light are often based on the opinions of the speaker.  The truth of a situation in today’s political and social environment is designed to push people into a specific mindset.  The tendency of man is to build a narrative based more on ego and vanity than on verity. This propensity for bias comes naturally when we allow ourselves to be guided by the anger of Satan, because acrimony is the source of Satan’s continual lashing out against God’s people.  We know this “because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). It was pride and arrogance that caused Satan’s desire to “ascend above the heights of the clouds” and “be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:14). The veracity of God’s Word is known by His people who have the Holy Spirit. However, mankind is easily tempted, and swayed by deception in the world. Paul tried to get this point across to the early church, “For since the creation of […]