What Do We Do Daily?

I heard a quote recently that got me thinking about how we as Christians are to be thinking differently. The quote was from C.S. Lewis’s book, “God in the Dock”:

“If you think of this world as a place intended simply for our happiness, you find it quite intolerable: think of it as a place of training and correction and it’s not so bad. Imagine a set of people all living in the same building. Half of them think it is a hotel, the other half think it is a prison. Those who think it is a hotel might regard it as quite intolerable and those who thought it was a prison might decide that it was really surprisingly comfortable. So that what seems the ugly doctrine is one that comforts and strengthens you in the end. The people who try to hold an optimistic view of this world would become pessimists: the people who hold a pretty stern view of it become optimistic.”

We know, of course, that this is a terrible world, and no “optimistic” viewpoint will make it better. On the other hand, our viewpoint must be very optimistic when focusing on the world to come—when Christ will rule this earth.

Truly everything in this life is based on how we view things—as C.S. Lewis stated above. Our mindsets cannot be just for the sake of chasing happiness or trying to live our best lives. Our lives are for the training to become more and more like Jesus Christ. The very fact that we are called Christians should be an indication for us that we are to become more and more like Him in terms of how we think, how we act and how we go about our day-to-day activities.

We have the stories in the Bible of people who went through tough hard times. The stories about Daniel and his three friends tell us about their true reliance on God. This didn’t just come on the spur of the moment. This needed to have been built in them over a period of time. They trained their minds, they built their relationship and reliance on God up to the point where they were able to go through the trials they went through and make it through BECAUSE of God’s providence and strength.

I have often thought about how we are told that our mindset is to be constantly changing. We find this in Ephesians 4:23 (AMP Bible) telling us that we must “be continually renewed in the spirit of [our] mind [having a fresh, untarnished mental and spiritual attitude].” To properly do this, it requires constant vigilance and a desire to grow close to God and Christ – in order to think like them; in order to be in sync with them.

It requires us to lean towards putting on Christ. This is iterated over and over again in the New Testament (Romans 13:14, Ephesians 4, Colossians 3). This time we have now is truly for our training. I think that we are beginning to see that people are facing greater and harder trials for the sake of growing closer to God. We must each come to the point where we are willing to surrender everything over to God and learn to follow His lead. This can either come from us actively seeking this OR it can come from God having to step in and start directing our lives so that we learn to turn to Him.

With this being the case – we must be aware that this is one of the prime areas where Satan will attempt to attack us over and over again. He will not stop trying to remove our attention from the process of renewal and attempt to get us to stay distracted and overwhelmed with every-day matters.

The option and the choice is ours. 2 Corinthians 3:18 states that God’s Spirit in us should be helping us to be transformed day by day: “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” Again, in order to accomplish this, we MUST be doing this daily. We must be spending time in God’s Word (His POWER) so we can be led.

In Romans 8:6, we read: “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”  The ONLY way to be spiritually minded is to be putting on Christ. This Truth is powerful if we put it into practice.

If we need inspiration – we can get it by turning to God and daily doing what David showed us as he lived his life.

In Psalms 119:146-148, he says: “I cry out to You; Save me, and I will keep Your testimonies. I rise before the dawning of the morning, And cry for help; I hope in Your word.  My eyes are awake through the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word.”

Forgiveness of Our Mistakes

It is said that those who never make a mistake have never achieved anything. But as easy as it is to make mistakes, it is difficult – and unpleasant – to admit them. Mistakes happen all the time, sometimes they are minor, sometimes they are major mistakes; sometimes we find the right path as a result, and sometimes we stray from the right path.

We can make mistakes towards our spouse, towards our friends, relatives and brethren. I speak of “mistakes”, but that is just a nice way of describing transgressions and sins that we commit against others or that others commit against us.

Our attention is drawn to the “mistake” so that we can, if possible, correct it. This realization is accompanied by shame. Shame is an unpleasant feeling. If we have done something wrong, we should be ashamed of it. But sometimes we don’t want to feel shame because we don’t want to give the impression of failing, being embarrassed or making a fool of ourselves.

It’s good that we are aware of our mistakes. But now we must also have the will not to repeat these mistakes and we must not act indifferently to our mistakes.

We tend to argue according to our prejudices. We know when we are offended, of course, but we ignore it when we offend someone else. Each of us has our own special way of analyzing circumstances or justifying ourselves. What we think initially seems not only right but also perfectly reasonable.

In the back of our minds, even if we don’t want to admit it, we think we are better than others, if not in knowledge, then in character and our attitude! The word forgiveness is often on our lips, but rarely in our hearts. We use phrases like “I’m sorry” or “excuse me” only for the sake of manners and politeness; they are rather meaningless because they have nothing to do with our sincere desire to truly ask for forgiveness.

The same applies when we are asked to forgive others for “mistakes” made against us. How serious are we about “forgiving” others? Are we really prepared to forgive others from the bottom of our hearts for the “mistakes” they have committed against us?

Do we really know forgiveness? Have we ever learned forgiveness? Do we treat others the way we want them to treat us, even when it comes to forgiveness? “I know all of that”, we might think. But we should also live by it!

Christ said: “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses” (Mark 11:25-26). We must truly repent of our own mistakes and transgressions that we have committed against others and ask for their forgiveness, and we must also be willing to forgive others their mistakes if they are remorseful and ask for our forgiveness.

We read in Matthew 18:21-35:

“Then Peter came to Him and said, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

“‘But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. ‘So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.’”

We can learn from our own mistakes. We are not obliged to keep repeating the same mistakes. We can also learn from the mistakes that others have made in the Bible. We all make “mistakes”; that is something we must not forget. But we must repent of them, and we must also forgive the “mistakes” made against us from the bottom of our hearts when they are repented of.

Initial translation: Daniel Blasinger

Great and Small

Paradoxically, our lives are at the same time vanishingly diminutive and immensely important. Considering the enormity of creation, our lives occupy a mere moment in time. We are a mote in the universe. The impact we might make with the greatest of possible achievements in the history of man quickly fades from memory. Yet, in the grand plan of God, the Creator of everything, our lives are so significant that He would have still sent His Son as a Sacrifice for our sins if we had been the only person alive needing salvation. We are so small and the events in our lives are so trivial, yet our lives in the eyes of God are so awesome as to be of eternal importance.

Day to day, it helps to consider this paradox. In the good moments when we might have feelings of pride in our achievement, it helps to remember that what we have done is miniscule when zooming out to see the bigger picture. More emphatically, anything that we might be able to accomplish is only possible with God’s help. On the opposite end of the spectrum, in difficult times when we might face seemingly impossible circumstances, it helps to remember that our problems will eventually pass. Even if we face the most extreme situation of a threat against our life, it helps to know that in God’s great plan, this life is just a temporary physical existence that will give way to an eternal one. Accepting that our lives are relatively small and insignificant helps temper pride and cope with difficulty. Yet, believing that we are so important to God that He sacrificed His only Son so that we can live with Him eternally in glory is infinitely revitalizing!

It is a great relief when we understand the Truth of God’s plan and how we play a role in it. The experiences we now have that cause us to abound in joy or cower in grief lose their power to control us because we know there’s something much greater to look forward to. The Spirit of God is the only thing that makes it possible to understand the magnitude of God’s plan. “But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10). The future that we have is beyond the capacity of the physical man to comprehend without God’s Spirit. When we have the Truth inspired by the Holy Spirit working in our lives, it will function as a powerful guide. Knowing what God has prepared for us makes our hardships bearable and keeps our physical delights in their place.

Even though we understand God’s awesome plan, made possible through the Holy Spirit, what’s even more amazing is that we only have a glimpse of what the future holds. We can abstractly understand eternity and what it means to become glorified, but we are incapable of experiencing it right now. Without that experience, there’s only so much that we can know. “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). Therefore, if we can only begin to comprehend what God has in store for us now while we are bound by our physical existence, how much greater will that glorious life actually be? The future God has planned defies all imagination.

Contemplating the greatness of God’s Truth must influence our perspective. The greatness of God’s plan for us does not need to diminish the meaning of the real experiences we have. We don’t have to be in denial throughout our lives believing that our experiences are of no value. On the contrary, the hardships and the good times alike are experiences meant to train us. Growing in our calling involves going through it all. Remember that Jesus Christ came to this Earth fully human as we are, so that He could experience life and suffer as we do. Just because we have eternal life to look forward to doesn’t mean that our lives now aren’t valuable. Rather, we understand how to keep it in perspective. Suffering in this life is difficult. But relatively speaking, our suffering now is insignificant in comparison to our great future. “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). The experiences that we have now give us the opportunity to develop our relationship with God, which will lead us to glory so great that it will lift the weight of all our prior suffering.

We must spend whatever time we have left on this Earth growing closer to God and working ever closer to perfection. We have the hope of eternity to guide us through the good times and the bad, so that we don’t go astray. We have a great future to look forward to, and we have the privilege now to understand it. “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

God Is Working With Us

When we consider the works of God, the whole universe is included in these works. But those God has called out in this age are the ones He is most interested in working with at the present time. A good verse to begin to demonstrate this is Isaiah 64:8, “But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.” We are not just His children, but He is working a work in us as a potter works with clay to fashion an object. As we read in that verse, “We are the work of Your [God’s] hand.” Depending on the time frame, the “we” here could be the Old Testament nation of Israel and/or the New Testament Church. God intended the nation of Israel to be an example of a righteous nation to the world. He intends for us to preach the gospel of His soon-coming kingdom as a witness to all nations.

In what is considered to be the oldest book of the Bible, the book of Job, Job recognised that God was working with him personally. He asked and answered the question whether there was life after death. This is mentioned in Job 14:14-15, a verse often used in funeral services. “If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, Till my change comes. You shall call, and I will answer You; You shall desire the work of Your hands.” Again, Job recognised that he was the work of God’s hands.

So, while God is working with us, He also fully recognises what we are. This is made evident in Psalm 103:13-14, “As a father pities his children, So the LORD pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.” As dust, we can accomplish very little, but our situation is even worse. As we read in Isaiah 64:6, “But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.”

Jeremiah 17:9 confirms this and shows what our thinking is really like. “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” Because our tendency is toward being deceitful, it can be difficult to recognise our shortcomings. But, of course, the answer is that God knows what we are like, even if we do not recognise it ourselves. Romans 3:23 informs us that all are included in this, none are excluded. “… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Our only hope is the gift from God described in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Even though we have earned death by our very nature and conduct, He still lists characteristics He wants us to aspire to, while understanding that we will fall short at times. Micah 6:8 gives us a concise list of what God is looking for in us. “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?”

So, while we are striving with the help of God to overcome, Jesus Christ has no shame or embarrassment in calling us His brethren, even with all our flaws and sins. This shows His mercy and love toward us, and that He has prepared a future for us to be with Him and His Father forever. Hebrews 2:11 states, “For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” Hebrews 2:17 repeats this acknowledgement of us being His brethren. “Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in all things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” He was made like us to experience life as a human so that He could understand how to be a merciful high priest.

While at this time, God is working with His called-out ones; ultimately, He will include all of mankind in His plan. All will have an opportunity to be a part of His plan to be in His Family. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 tells us, “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” God is not exclusive but is working out His plan in a certain order. He is working with His called-out ones first, then He will work with the rest of mankind. He ultimately wants everybody to have the opportunity to be saved and be His children forever. At that time, Jesus Christ will call all of those His brethren who have accepted the opportunity to be saved – those called in the past, those who are called now and in the future, and those who will be called when they are resurrected. Unfortunately, although God desires all men to be saved, not all have or will accept that opportunity. We must make sure we do accept it.

Healing Through God’s Power and His Creation

There are currently many people around me suffering from sickness, be it in the family, among relatives, friends, brethren or acquaintances, as well as among colleagues at work.

Sadly, illnesses have existed for a very long time and are also part of the consequence of sin, which began with Eve choosing to eat the forbidden fruit. Satan’s direct involvement can of course also be responsible for illnesses. We read Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 12:7: “And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.” Paul suffered from some kind of illness that is not described here in detail.

Job also had to suffer much, albeit because of his arrogance, through a direct attack by Satan. We can see from Job 1:6-12 that whatever Satan attacks always turns into evil. Verse 12 confirms that its outcome is in Satan’s hands: “The LORD said to Satan, ‘Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands…’” (New International Version). But Satan can only work to a certain extent, and we read this in the same verse as follows: “… only do not lay a hand on his person.”

Leprosy is a very serious disease. It is said that leprosy is one of the oldest known diseases and has been described for around 4,000 years. Because of the distinctive skin lesions, the disease became known as leprosy. We read about it for the first time in Leviticus 13:1-3. Whether this disease has been brought under medical control is highly questionable.

Many of our brethren also suffer from a wide variety of diseases, such as cancer, which comes in many different forms. Others have been suffering for years from diabetes or severe back pain, knee and hip problems, allergies and so much more. My wife suffers from many different illnesses. I personally suffered from a pulmonary embolism caused by thrombosis. Initially, I had to take a blood thinner from the pharmaceutical industry, which unfortunately had countless side effects. But through the advice of endearing brethren, I was able to use natural remedies made from plants created by God, which, with God’s help, meant that firstly, I no longer needed thrombosis stockings and secondly, the blood clot was able to dissolve.

God has created all kinds of plants and herbs to heal many diseases. The Bible gives us a glimpse that there were physicians in both the Old and New Testaments (compare Genesis 50:2 and Colossians 4:14). Although the Bible does not mention much about healing with herbs or other natural substances, there are some accounts, and we may assume that competent physicians made use of natural remedies or ointments and oils.

Isaiah 1:6 records that ointments were used for relief. Luke 10:34 shows that oil and wine were used to disinfect and treat wounds. Treatment with natural eye salve and balm was also known (compare Jeremiah 8:22 and Revelation 3:18). We also read about a poultice made of figs for boils to induce healing (compare Isaiah 38:21). In the future, leaves from all kinds of fruitful trees will also be used as healing medicines (compare Ezekiel 47:12).

It is even claimed that pomegranates can cure many different cancers, but they are also said to be very helpful for healing wounds. And there are over thousands of different plants and herbs that can help.

God has brethren ordained as ministers, including for the purpose of anointing the sick with oil for healing. Now, of course, the oil has no healing effect in this respect; it is symbolic of the Holy Spirit of power, through which God brings about healing. Although complete healing does not always occur immediately, we know that it is up to God’s Will how and whether He will heal someone later, today, or in the near future.

You might ask yourself: “Why do I have to suffer so much, even though I pray so often for healing, have faith in healing, or even fast for it?” Paul received his answer from Christ after he had prayed to Him three times for healing: “And [Christ] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness’” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

God could, of course, deliver us from all our sickness and pain in the blink of an eye, but if this doesn’t happen, then God has chosen to wait a little longer, and whatever His motives are, we will find out in due time. As long as we are not healed of our sicknesses, patience and perseverance are another test for us.

We must not let up, give up, or doubt that God will help. James 5:13-15 tells us: “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.”

But James 1:6-8 also admonishes us: “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

Everything comes from God. Only, we need to have faith and trust in Him.

(Initial translation: Daniel Blasinger)

Be Steadfast and Persevere

We know that ALL things are possible through God when we put all our burdens on Him. We also understand that we must have the faith that He will come through for us.  So why then do we at times still struggle with doubt?

Many in the Bible went through several various trials to have their faith tested, to see if they would be able to persevere.  They also continued to go through trials to see how strong and committed they really were, just as we all do.

Those who are willing to be baptized need to take that ultimate step as they are filled with enthusiasm and determined to live a new life, filled with anticipation, a general desire, and a willingness.  They have this sudden urge, a drive within their minds that gets them determined for something great that lies ahead.  These are all wonderful feelings to have as they know that their lives are about to start over, spiritually speaking, as they get rid of the old man and become the new man.  However, it is not an easy road as trials and tribulations will come to test them to see how strong they really are.  

For those of us who are properly baptized, this was something we have all been faced with, and we continue to go through adversity.  For example, can we handle the burdens we go through; whether it be money problems, working on the Sabbath, family differences, material possessions, etc.?  Better yet, will we put our burdens into God’s hands and trust that He will take care of us, no matter what problems we are faced with?

Satan tries to do whatever he can to discourage us in EVERY possible way by tempting us to sin while God tests us to see if we can conquer Satan by living a life pleasing to Him and remaining faithful and wise in understanding that we constantly need to ask God for His help.

Is our life filled with joy, sorrow, or doubt?  Are we let down easily and do we take criticism harshly or personally, with a proud heart, and are we easily offended?  Is God trying to tell us something through the ministry when something is revealed to us?  Is our life affected by others and are we surrounded by drama, or does drama surround our life?  These are things that one must consider as every one of us is tested in our own way, in just the things that could affect us the most, what we struggle with the most.  Paul was just like us for he knew exactly what all Christinas go through as he explains in Romans 7:14-25.

The world distracts us and it will continue to do so.  We can get distracted very easily by the things that we are involved with in our lives.  When it comes to our spiritual lifestyle, what is it that we can do to be spiritually motivated and to persevere amidst this busy life we find ourselves in?

Prayer is extremely powerful because it brings forth our faith inside of us, knowing that God is the only One who can make anything happen, and as much as we have a part to do in our belief, God will respond and take action.  

When it comes to our spiritual needs, prayer is just as beneficial.  We go through trials continually and we do get sidetracked often.  What do we do when that happens? James 1:2-6 admonishes us to ask in faith, without doubting, especially during times we need God the most, when our motivation begins to deteriorate.   

As Hebrews 12:1-3 points out, we must remember that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, as God also witnesses the things that we are doing.  When it comes to God, and everything that He has created, we are a witness to that and His existence.  Have we sometimes just taken the time and take notice of all the things that God has done for us and admire all that He has made? Just knowing that, we should be willing to “lay aside every weight and sin that easily ensnares us.”  And if we are struggling, here is when we need to pray to God to show us what we need to change and fix in our lives. 

It is not only sin that can hinder us, but it’s also people, or anything else that we are involved with, that can do the same.  There could be someone or something in our life that can prevent us from doing what God wants us to do, and if so, we would need to fix the problem, by re-evaluating our relationships with others and/or asking God for wisdom and guidance to make the right choices. God comes first over all things, without compromising.   

When we have removed the things in our lives that hinder us, it should be easier for us to run the race that is set before us.  Running a race is no easy task because it can be exhausting and frustrating at times.  The goal here is to keep on running, to keep going the same path, not drifting off course, but going in the direction that God is leading us.  There are times when fatigue sets inand when we become weary, we have to remember the persecutions Christ and some of the apostles went through.  As Christ says in Matthew 24:13, “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”

The Only Constant Is Change

Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, is quoted as saying “change is the only constant in life.”  This saying has also been translated to “the only constant is change.”  He lived in Ephesus, near modern Kusadasi, Turkey, around 500 B.C.  And so, some 2,500 years later, is this still a truism today?

One psychologist wrote: “People age, develop habits and move environments. You can’t step into the same river twice — even rocks were subject to changes by the elements over time.”

We know that God never changes.  In our Update on April 7th 2017 was the Q&A “Does God Change?”, and below is an excerpt from this:

“We know from Malachi 3:6 that God does not change: ‘For I am the LORD, I do not change’. Another verse that is used to show the unchanging nature of God is found in Hebrews 13:8: ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.’ In James 1:17 we read: ‘Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.’”

We showed that there were a number of examples where God did change His mind but none of these changes involved any diversification to His unalterable spiritual Law. God does not alter, nor does He compromise with His law, or with His plan for mankind which is set out in His Holy Day calendar.

But what about those called by God?

God is perfect.   We have not yet attained that state but we must continue to grow and overcome.   We read in 2 Peter 3:18: “…but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

When God called us, everything changed.   We saw the world for what it was and how Satan manoeuvres and manipulates mankind to his sinful way of thinking and behaving.  We discovered that God has a Master Plan for all of humanity and that we needed to put the world behind us and follow the Way that will be standard practice in the Kingdom of God.   We learned to keep the weekly Sabbath, not tread all over it.  The annual Holy Days, integral to understanding the future, became a fixture in our lives, and we grow in this knowledge and understanding the longer we keep these.   

Change was everywhere when we were called.

And now, after many years in the Church, we understand that statement in 2 Peter 3:18, as mentioned above.  We accepted change when God revealed this to us, and we must continue along the path that we have chosen, following God’s calling, no matter how hard it may seem at times.  We are not alone in our spiritual endeavours but have “support staff” through the Father and Jesus Christ.

Change from the carnal approach to a spiritual one in this life is something we have been tasked to achieve and is a constant requirement for those in God’s Church.   There is help available as we read in Philippians 1:6 where the apostle Paul wrote: “…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Stop Lying!

Watching the recent presidential debate in the USA was a bit of an eye-opener, with two elderly men throwing insults at each other and accusing each other of lying.  A fact check of either one would show that they both lied many times during the debate, following the example of their leader— Satan, the current ruler of this age whom Christ called a liar and murderer from the beginning.

We read Christ’s words in John 8:44: “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”

Satan lied to Eve and deceived her into taking the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which was in direct disobedience to what God had told her and which led to the death of both her and her husband Adam who followed her lead.

So, the devil not only lied to her but was also guilty of murder. He is a totally corrupt, evil and irredeemable being, awaiting judgement in the future. He is currently the god of this world who sinned and rebelled against his Creator—the one and true God.

That is the problem with many politicians and leaders in this age. Influenced by Satan in one way or another, they lie about everything, thinking there is no recourse or future punishment. Politicians lie and are backed up by a corrupt lying media to push their agenda on the people.

Thankfully, this situation will end when this evil system will be changed and be replaced by a just system of government. This will be accomplished when Christ returns to rule the earth with His saints– the glorified children of God who will not be, nor can be, corrupted by man or Satan.

It behoves us in this day and age to tell the Truth at all times and live with the consequences. Once a person starts lying and refuses to correct his lies and to change by telling the Truth, he cannot be trusted.

As God’s people, we must be looked upon as trustworthy and as those who tell the Truth–always.

Voting for the Next President?

On June 22, 2024, The Associated Press reported: “Former President Donald Trump on Saturday urged evangelicals to get out and vote in an election that has him neck and neck with President Joe Biden. ‘The evangelicals and the Christians, they don’t vote as much as they should,’ Trump told the audience at the Faith & Freedom Coalition meeting in Washington, D.C. ‘They go to church every Sunday, but they don’t vote. And we have to make sure they vote. Just this time….’”

Why is it that some Christians do NOT vote in governmental elections? Why is it that they will not vote in the upcoming election, either? The reasons might be many. As the article said, “Trump’s stated opposition to signing a nationwide ban on abortion and his reluctance to detail some of his views on the issue are at odds with many members of the evangelical movement… He [previously] stated… that he would not sign a nationwide ban on abortion if it was passed by Congress.”

So, abortion is a big issue, and some Christians will not vote for either Trump or Biden, as they do not agree with their respective stance on abortion. While Biden, a professing Catholic, is not opposed to any form of abortion—a position totally at odds with the viewpoint of many Christians—Trump’s stance against abortion, but allowing abortion in some instances, does not go far enough for some, as they are opposed to abortion under any circumstances.

Another issue of controversy is immigration. While many, if not most Christians, oppose Biden’s open-border policy, some are concerned with Trump’s rather stringent and somewhat radical approach, including his position against chain migration and his (somewhat ambiguous) concepts regarding DACA.

There are certainly many more issues which would clearly prevent many Christians from voting for Biden—from his stance on the LGBTQ+ movement and same-sex marriages to his war-driven policies, the weaponization of the legal system and his attacks on personal freedom and liberty. But rather than not voting at all, should they not then vote for Trump, with whom they might not agree on every issue, but who would be closer to their viewpoint? In other words, should they not vote for the “lesser evil”?

But in asking the question in this way, some Christians would argue that this would still be voting for “evil”—something they could not do, as they feel that according to Scripture, they have to “abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

However, the crux of the matter goes far beyond the issues raised so far.

In our free booklet, “Should You Fight in War?”, we are showing a connection between voting in governmental elections and joining the military and fighting in war (after all, the President is the Commander in Chief with the power to declare war).

In a chapter in this booklet, titled, “Why Christ Would Not Vote in this World’s Governmental Elections,” we quoted an article from the late Herbert W. Armstrong which was published in 1984, saying this:

“This is not a world of God’s making. This is SATAN’S world!… The Bible speaks of this world as ‘this present EVIL WORLD’ (Galatians 1:4, AV)… No, Jesus did not enter into THIS WORLD’S politics! He called His disciples out of this present evil world—out of all its customs and philosophies and ways—to live a life of SEPARATION from the world…

“Thus Jesus’ disciples live in this present evil world as though they were foreigners, here merely as the guests of the nation where they reside, as AMBASSADORS for Christ and His coming Kingdom, not of any of this world’s governments… [Foreign ambassadors do not involve themselves in] making their state [where they live] a better state, or voting, or entering their army or fighting for their cause… [T]he true Christian is one who follows Christ, and Christ did not vote! Jesus did not try to reform Caesar… He preached the doctrine of a radically different world to come… This is Satan’s world and Jesus Christ did not come to reform Satan or improve Satan’s handiwork, but to save His followers from Satan and his system. Since God’s Kingdom is not literally set up as yet, the true Christian’s citizenship is now reserved in heaven (I Peter 1:4, Ephesians 2:19)…

“What, then, would Jesus do in [a time of] presidential election?… HE WOULD BE TOO BUSY PROCLAIMING THE GOOD NEWS OF HIS COMING WORLD-RULING KINGDOM, and the way of salvation, to take any part whatsoever in the politics of this present evil world, or in any man-made form of government that is DOOMED very soon to be destroyed and replaced by the theocratic government of THE KINGDOM OF GOD! Our mission is, as ambassadors of Christ—as advance emissaries of HIS KINGDOM—to WARN the world of its plight and present danger, to proclaim to all nations the good news of the KINGDOM OF GOD!”

These words, written in 1984, are as relevant today as they have ever been.

We also stated this in another chapter in our booklet, titled, “Why do you teach that a Christian should not vote in governmental elections?”

“Another reason why a Christian is not to vote for a candidate in governmental or local council elections is because he understands the truth about this being Satan’s world at the present time. It is Satan who, with the general permission of God, places candidates into governmental offices. If we were to vote, we might involve ourselves quite directly in Satan’s system. Hosea 8:4 gives us God’s warning in this regard: ‘They set up kings, but not by Me; they made princes, but I did not acknowledge them.’’

“Sometimes, in order to ensure that certain aspects of His plan are fulfilled, God Himself might intervene to see to it that the person best (or perhaps worst) suited for the job at that time gets the job (compare Daniel 4:17). How would God look at us when He intervenes directly to place a specific person into office, while we did not vote for that person, but rather for someone whom God does not want to see in charge at that time? It is obvious that our vote would be found to be in opposition to God’s Will.

“To give a prophetic and an historical example, Biblical prophecy reveals that a final political leader of the resurrected Roman Empire – the ‘beast’ – will soon arise in Europe. According to God’s prophetic plan, this person will be placed in office in the very last days, wreaking total havoc on this planet. It is Satan, with God’s permission, who will give his power and authority to this person (Revelation 13:4-5). A Christian could not and should not vote for this person, of course, as he will persecute and kill many of the ‘saints’ (Revelation 13:7), and he will even attempt to fight the returning Jesus Christ (Revelation 19:19). Neither should a Christian have voted for Adolph Hitler, although it is clear now that Hitler came to power, as prophesied, to bring about the ninth resurrection of the Roman Empire. This is to say that God allowed Hitler to become ruler over Germany so that prophecy could be fulfilled…”

While many will tell you with seemingly logical arguments that Christians must vote in the upcoming presidential election, the Bible is quite clear that they must not do so. The question is, whom will you follow? Men or God?

Our Near Horizon

We might think of things being on the near horizon—that is, that something will almost certainly happen or be done quite soon. The word horizon is defined by most dictionaries as the place in the distance where the earth and sky seem to meet.

Metaphorically, new horizons may refer to fresh starts, greater understanding or different goals. Being drawn into the truth of God and having our minds opened to understand the Bible has given us vision from God’s perspective and certainly, vastly new horizons!

How are we handling the horizon of future events? Jesus revealed signs which would take place leading to His return and the end of this age, and He specifically said, “‘See I have told you beforehand’” (Matthew 24:25).

Jesus went on to say that we should “watch” and “be ready” as the prophetic horizon of end time events becomes the near horizon of our lives!

This world is on the edge of a precipice—the brink of a dangerous and disastrous situation, and it will fall! This is the time of the end of the age! Have we become comfortable and complacent with the way things are? Do we truly understand the gravity of our time. We are admonished:

“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

Jesus forewarned:

“‘But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:34-36).

Our horizon must always be the Kingdom of God—both near and far. That was what Jesus Christ sought in His life, and He now sits at the right hand of the Father, so “…that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

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