In my last Editorial, dated November 15 (Update #899), I spoke about the fact that “time is running out.” I warned that while we see end-time prophecies being fulfilled before our very eyes, some members of the Church of God lose heart and walk away, thereby forgetting Christ’s admonition to hold fast what they have so that they don’t lose their crown (Revelation 3:11). I continued with the same theme in my last Member Letter, dated December 17, 2019, quoting news headlines in 2019 and showing how close we are to the Great Tribulation. On December 19, we produced a StandingWatch program, titled, “What’s Ahead for 2020.” Now notice what all has happened already in 2020: The British parliament decided that Brexit will take place on January 31, 2020, causing further disagreements and upheaval between Britain and Europe; Australia’s devastating and deadly wildfires seem to have no end; turmoil and fear of a worldwide war, stemming from America’s conduct pertaining to Iraq, Iran and the entire Middle East, captivated the headlines in early January; and the demands for American withdrawal in that part of the world get louder. Then, after Putin’s attempted power grab, the entire Russian government resigned. In this issue, we […]

Having been anxiously waiting to go with my wife on a boat cruise out of California’s San Pedro Bay, I was somewhat shocked and dismayed to receive an email from Air Canada on Saturday, after the Sabbath, stating that our flight on Sunday morning, December 1, to the Los Angeles Airport had been delayed to 11:00AM. We were originally supposed to leave at 5:40 AM and arrive at LAX at 12:25 PM. The new arrival time of 4:28 PM via Salt Lake City was almost two hours after the ship would leave for our Mexico Cruise. The worst part was that I had taken out any cancellation insurance for the flight or cruise and I was told now that the cruise line would not refund a “no show.” Trying to sort this out on a Saturday evening when the Travel Agency was closed and the offices of the cruise lines were also closed was frustrating. So, there was nothing I could do that evening. Taking the flight at 11:00 AM on December 1 would accomplish nothing, so we did not even leave the house. I was distraught as to why God would allow this to happen. He knew we were looking forward to […]

“I should have done that yesterday,” is a lament we probably have all made at one time or another. Sometimes, however, unattended responsibilities may prove embarrassing or even very costly. There is always that moment when we are confronted with a choice to take action or to put it off until a later time. While there can be valid reasons for both approaches, eventual results will be the judge. If we are able to set clear priorities, our responses to life’s challenges will prove to be much more successful. Deciding what to do and when to do it can help us achieve our goals—both small and great. There is absolutely no greater goal for us than entry into the Kingdom of God, and if God has called us now, that must be our number one priority! Jesus Christ gives this serious warning when He says, “‘There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and yourselves thrust out’” (Luke 13:28). What could possibly cause people to be kept out of God’s Kingdom? The earlier verses in Luke 13 reveal that Christ did not know […]

As we would all be aware, earlier this week many people observed Christmas and next week possibly even more will observe New Year’s Eve. During Christmas, there were many celebrations around a tree and much giving of gifts, and at the New Year, there are usually great displays of fireworks. And yet, most people observing these activities do not understand what they mean or the origin of them. It is usually considered that these times are a time of rejoicing and happiness, but research shows in too many cases that this is not true. In the Australian Daily Mail of 12th December, 2018, we find that “for some, the festive season sparks a rise in domestic violence and theft. With booze flowing and families gathered under one roof, tensions can run high and lead to a spike in domestic violence. Thefts are also on the rise over the Christmas period, as people scramble to get gifts for their children and loved ones that they simply can’t afford. “Domestic violence is a growing issue in countless Australian homes. With the festive season now in full swing, recent data obtained by Daily Mail Australia shows an increase in violence on Christmas morning and again on New […]

A rescue worker recently died while trying to find a lost hiker. As reported by CNN, “A volunteer rescue worker died Saturday while searching for a hiker on Mount Baldy in California, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said. Timothy Staples of the West Valley Search and Rescue team, (a ‘dedicated volunteer’ for nine years), was among those looking for Sreenivas ‘Sree’ Mokkapati, a 52-year-old reported missing December 8 while hiking to the Mount Baldy summit. The West Valley Search and Rescue team said on Facebook that Staples died after a horrible fall.” Volunteering your time and putting yourself in dangerous situations to help others, especially those in dire or deadly predicaments, is a truly noble action. The Bible speaks to the selflessness of this act, “‘Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends’” (John 15:13). This desire to help others while putting oneself at risk quite often leads to accidental death as well.  Of those killed in the 911 attacks,  343 firefighters and 71 law enforcement officers died rushing towards the burning towers with the intent of rescuing others. One publication states, “In certain situations, the data show, more people are […]

In a previous editorial in Update #877, dated 24th May 2019, entitled “How They Love to Play with Words to Get Their Own Way!” I gave the example of how a young man in the UK was discriminated against because he was “a white, heterosexual male without disability’”, according to the report put out by the BBC. This is a growing trend to try and impose politically correct language in the UK by an ever increasing liberal elite. This has also taken hold in many other countries, and it is important to see the hypocrisy and unfairness that has gripped our nations (Please also see our Q&A, entitled “Why is political correctness a potential problem for Christians and the Church of God today?” in Update #865, dated 22nd February 2019). Of course, we shouldn’t be surprised, but it is important to be aware of what is going on so that we are not sucked into accepting that which should not exist in a properly functioning society. On the website findlaw.co.uk, we find the definition of “positive discrimination” as follows: “Positive discrimination is the process of giving preferential treatment, especially in employment, to minority groups of society that have been prejudiced […]

After reading articles in recent Updates about the atrocities and scandals surrounding abortion, I become increasingly aghast at the dismissive treatment of human life. This is of course nothing new, but it seems that the rhetoric is becoming more brazen and unapologetic. In the misappropriated name of mercy and freedom of choice, unborn infants are consciously and systematically murdered. Even when circumstances in the life of the mother are difficult, the fact remains that only one party has a voice in the choice to kill. The life of the murdered is valued only for the salvaged body to be bought and sold on the market for scientific and medical purposes. To God, the society that allows this to happen is shamefully condemned. And that is putting it lightly. Infanticide is clearly an evil deed in the eyes of God (compare 2 Kings 8:12, Amos 1:13, Matthew 2:13-18). To draw any other conclusion that justifies abortion is plainly insulting to Him. God gives us some very clear commandments to love one another. To make a conscious choice to kill an innocent, helpless child is an impudent rejection of God that demonstrates the very opposite of love. The choice to kill shows […]

In Revelation 5:10, we are told something fundamental as to who we are as Christians: “And [Christ] have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.” We are told the same in Revelation 1:6. We are here now as physical people—flesh and blood human beings. But our potential before us is to become spiritual kings and priests in the Kingdom of God. The thought that occurred to me is that in order for this to happen, we have to think like kings and priests NOW. We should constantly take note of Christ’s perfect example. He was and is our King and our High Priest. The Bible says we are to become like Him. Philippians 2:5-9 tells us: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name.” Before Christ became a […]

To be truly dedicated takes commitment and long-suffering with much patience.  It’s a life-long commitment to follow God’s laws, especially if we have chosen to live that way when God has called us out of this world to something far greater which will only be manifested at its full potential when Christ returns back to this earth to establish His Kingdom.  Then we will see what we have been longing for our whole lives.  But before we get to that point, we need to evaluate ourselves by truly asking how dedicated we are in the Church of God.  As we live our daily lives, being preoccupied with our jobs, school, activities and such, do we sometimes wonder if we are dedicated enough; that is, dedicated in our spiritual lives, what we believe in, and also dedicated to our Bible studies?  Are we dedicated to the Work of God and to our calling?  We like to believe that this is true since fruits have shown how the Work has progressed, how the Word has gone out, and how we, the called-out ones, have listened and responded. It takes dedication to keep the Sabbath, ALL of God’s commanded Holy Days, ALL of […]

Having been a baptized member of the Church of God since 1974, I have seen many people come to and leave the Church. They had enthusiastically “joined” the Church, but then something bothered them, and they left. Sometimes, it had bothered them for years. They were unable or unwilling to cope with it, until the opportunity arose which seemed to make their departure legitimate and justified. But it never is. I have observed entire groups following “their” minister out of the Church when he found fault with the Church’s teachings; this happened in 1974 and 1975 when the Church’s doctrine on Pentecost and on divorce and remarriage was clarified; that happened in 1978 when a high-ranking minister was disfellowshipped, due to inappropriate personal conduct, and when he then started his own church organization to which many flocked; it also happened in 1979 when the Attorney General of the State of California launched his illegal and blatantly unconstitutional attack on the Church, while embracing the support of disgruntled members and ministers; and it happened of course on the largest scale, up until now, after Herbert Armstrong’s death in 1986, when the new leadership dismantled and destroyed everything which we had embraced […]