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 our 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.