In living as Christians, we find in the Bible that to live this way was often referred to as “The Way”. How does “The Way” affect how we live? We need to make sure that we are living properly so that we can be accounted worthy to continue living this way of life and enjoy the benefits of obeying God.
Kalon Mitchell
FOT 2017: Expectations
We all have different expectations. But how do our expectations line up with others? What happens when they are not in harmony with others? What about our expectation of God as well as His of us? Can we really expect that we will all have expectations that are correct and meaningful at all times?
Godly Jealousy
The Time Has Come To…
We live in an age of uncertainty. From one day to the next we do not know what is going to happen. But as Christians we can be fairly certain of the things that we need to accomplish on a regular basis. The time for us to accomplish things is upon us. We need to be “about our Father’s business” now more than ever. What are we busy trying to accomplish? And how can we know that we are succeeding?
Captivating
The most recent event to captivate everyone’s attention here in the USA was the occurrence of the moon moving in front of the sun and blocking out light for a few minutes. But this is quickly fading away and attention is on the next event that will captivate people’s fleeting attention span—an “astronomical alignment” on September 23 is just around the corner (Ecclesiastes 1:9-11).
As the total solar eclipse was occurring on August 21, I went outside where I work and noticed all the people around me who had also come out to watch. It made me think of the Scripture where Christ talks about the end of this age and what it will be like. Matthew 24 extensively portrays days in the near future that are going to happen. Verses 29-31 talk about heavenly signs, even more stunning and breathtaking than what just happened. Not that this recent occurrence and the coming event in September had or will have any relevance for Christ’s Second Coming, but I can just imagine people standing around in awe and fear when the prophesied heavenly signs do start to take place on a global scale.
We can predict when scientific events such as an eclipse are going to occur, but we cannot understand how to bring about peace. There is no end to the amount of physical knowledge that this world is able to produce. We keep inventing greater and greater things, but we cannot stop the inevitable from happening. Genesis 11:6 points out that man is able to accomplish incredible feats, but he is unable to answer or solve any of life’s true questions.
This world hates God, whether it realizes it or not. The false prophet and the beast will soon arise and captivate the nations to accomplish their will.
We are warned NOT to be captivated by Satan’s trickery (2 Thessalonians 2:9-11); rather, we are encouraged to continue loving the Truth and maintaining a close relationship with God (1 John 3:7-10, 19-20). We have heard this time and again, but what are we doing about it? How sure are we that we will be able to keep God’s commandments, statutes and judgments when this tumultuous time comes? Will we be able to stand or will we let other things come between us and God? The answer depends on how we act today, when we have the opportunity and the time to do so (Deuteronomy 8:1-20).
As we continue to watch the world around us implode, we know from Scripture the prophecies of the events which are going to happen. We have to stay captivated with the Truth and have a deep love of it if we wish to finish what we have started (Revelation 1:3; 2:10, 25; 3:11; 16:15; 22:7,12). Now is the time to consider our ways and become wise, not being distracted and misled by foolish things. Zephaniah’s warning in chapter 1:14 should be a somber realization of what is going to occur in the not-too-distant future: “The great day of the LORD is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the LORD is bitter; There the mighty men shall cry out.”
Prophets, Prophecy and Prophesying
A great deal is said in the Bible about prophets, what they did and the messages they brought. What about today? Do we have any of these people or attributes among us today? What about prophecy in the Bible? Is it something that will continue to unfold, or has all prophecy been completed? What does the Bible show us in this regard?
Why Are We Commanded to Be Thankful?
Do we realize that the Bible actually commands us to be thankful? Shouldn’t this be a voluntary action? What does God think about this subject and what has He inspired to be written down in His Holy Word? 1 Thessalonians 5:18 states “… give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (New International Version).
Why would God have inspired Paul to write this? In this fifth chapter, Paul is exhorting the Thessalonian brethren to continue living in a Godly manner. He is spelling out for them the things that they should keep in mind and practice in their Christian walk. One of the most challenging things to do is to remain thankful in every situation we encounter.
But how can we get into this state of mind?
It comes down to our willingness to obey God and our desire to serve in whatever capacity that we can. Paul was confident that it was God who gave him strength and that he was given the opportunity to be appointed to the service of God. He was thankful that even though he suffered mightily, he was not afraid to continue on (1 Timothy 1:12).
The Scripture in 1 Thessalonians with which we started mentions that in every circumstance there is the opportunity (as well as God’s will) for us to give thanks. This doesn’t mean that our trials (numerous as they may be) will be easy. No, in fact, they will become even harder as we draw close to the end, and Satan wants to destroy us by any means possible. The words “hard” and “difficult” are often used to describe something negative. In many cases, that’s appropriate. It is hard to watch a loved one fall ill and suffer, or watch others struggle through their own trials. It is difficult when a family member or a pet dies. Some situations are all pain and seemingly insurmountable.
In Matthew 19:26 Christ exhorts the disciples that things with men are indeed impossible but that with God all things are possible. Learning a lesson in a trial is hard, but the process is to develop the ability within us and in our minds to become more like, and in tune with, God. It allows us to seek His Will more thoroughly. The easy path is more tempting; the difficult path is more rewarding.
Psalm 34 paints a picture of a time when David was feigning madness (1 Samuel 21:13-15) to get out of a situation that he got himself into, but look at his attitude. It was one of thanks and blessing for God for what he was going through, after God had delivered him, even though he had lied by his conduct. And despite many setbacks and failures, he never gave up on God and was always thankful. Ephesians 5:20 states that we should give thanks to God the Father for EVERYTHING.
It is easy to be thankful in good times. Deuteronomy 8:17-19 speaks of a warning that we should heed. When we stop being thankful, our hearts start to wander from God. Appreciating good things is really just being glad that we are benefiting from them. But being truly full of thanks requires looking beyond our blessings to the One who blesses us. It is about being full of gratitude for ALL situations that we find ourselves in, because God loves us and wants us to overcome ALL things so that we can make it into His Kingdom.
In Daniel 6:10, we read of Daniel who knew what the law of the land said, and yet he decided to obey God and give thanks, as was his custom. Just because some man-made law ordered something foolish and was not in accordance with God’s law, it did not stop him from doing what was his custom. This shows that Daniel was truly thankful to God from the very center of his being. He was willing to take that risk of praying and giving thanks because that is what centered him and gave him purpose.
We read about the children of Israel who were coming out of Egypt and how after an innumerable amount of miracles for them, they didn’t remember them nor were thankful. In fact, we find just the opposite. After Caleb and Joshua and the other ten spies came back, showing the good produce they had acquired, the ten men convinced the entire nation (literally a nation of people) not to go in as God had commanded. They were no longer thankful for the blessings but rather were ready to go back to Egypt. They were stuck in their way of thinking. Fear gripped them. They displayed no faith or resilience that God would give them the land as He had promised! This fear spread like wildfire until it consumed the entire assembly.
We must not act likewise, by forgetting everything and falling into the trap of being fearful. There really is no need for this. We will be faced with what we NEED to be faced with, so that we grow according to God’s Will.
God is willing to bless us. He wants to bless us. He wants to protect and lead us.
It is easy to be thankful when we are blessed… but how much more should we be thankful when we are in hard spots? We must come to the point where we are able to give God thanks for whatever we are going through, good or bad. For if we truly believe in God, we will believe that He has called us for a purpose; that He allows us to go through trials; and that He makes the ways of escape, as well as opportunities to do good. We must truly be thankful from our core. When we persevere, we will gradually come to see over time that both the trials and God’s answers and blessings will be for our good.
Lead Writer: Kalon Mitchell
Revolution
In 1776 the United States obtained independence from England. As was prophesied in the Bible, Manasseh became an incredible nation that has flourished by the grace of God. While America just celebrated its “Independence Day” on the 4th of July, there is something that we should remember and bring to mind.
The American Revolution, as it was called, was a revolt from a system of government, but was traded for another form of government. The term “revolution” is defined by dictionary.com as follows:
“An overthrow or repudiation and the thorough replacement of an established government or political system by the people governed.”
This type of revolution that occurred many years ago was not the first time something like this had happened. In fact, the first “revolution” that ever occurred was when Satan decided to go his own way and attempt to fight with and throw God off His throne in heaven. Isaiah 14:12-17 vividly paints this picture. Not only did he decide to revolt, but he caused a third of the angels to follow in this revolution (Revelation 12:4). Satan has inspired and operated in this way by using man ever since (Ephesians 2:2).
An interesting episode of Satan’s handiwork in progress can be seen in 1 Samuel 8:4-22, where we find that Israel wished for a king to rule over them and lead them into battle, similar to the other nations around them. And even after Samuel’s great warning of what a king would do, they still desired to have a king. Interestingly, in verse 7, we find God’s answer to Samuel about the people’s desire: “..for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.”
The people no longer wanted God to rule over them. And is this not the same today? We find prophecies in the Bible that speak about the very days we find ourselves living in.
Let us review a few more Scriptures and ask ourselves, in looking at the world as a whole, if they do not describe what we see today. We are told that knowledge shall increase (Daniel 12:4), but this worldly knowledge cannot really help or save mankind. In Isaiah 59:7-9 we read a sad plight of these people who increase in knowledge but cannot and do not know the way to peace because their paths are darkened. 2 Timothy 4:3 describes people with itching ears, always looking for something new to help them. Isaiah 30:10 talks of those people who just want to hear smooth things and not the hard facts and the Truth. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 warns that acts of rebellion against God will lead to terrible times in the last days (those days that will occur before the return of Christ).
The day of a revolution is once again coming. The Church of the Eternal God and its international affiliates continue to exhort and warn that the downfall of America; Great Britain and certain countries of the Commonwealth of Nations, formerly known as the British Commonwealth, including Canada, Australia and others; and of the state of Israel is at hand. We see that God has removed His protection and His blessings from our nations because of the aforementioned Scriptures and the refusal to repent of sins. This has all been scripted out and prophesied about in the Bible because God knows man’s tendencies and He has designed His master plan in this way.
We will see the FINAL revolution with the return of Jesus Christ who will establish a government that is spiritual, righteous and pure. There will no longer be chaotic, maniacal human governments which are ruled by Satan, having caused serious pain, turmoil and agony for countless people. Instead, as we read in the 21st chapter of the Book of Revelation, a time will be ushered in which will be unprecedented in man’s history. That will be the true Independence Day for all of mankind.
Be Like Minded
How can we all become like minded? We all want our own way at times. We all seek what is best for ourselves. This is human nature. But is that what God intended? How can we make sure that we are each being like minded with each other, as well as with God and Christ? Is such a thing even humanly possible?
Vessels of God
Many times the Bible mentions vessels or cups in both physical and spiritual realms. The Bible enjoin’s us to become vessels worthy of being used by God. What can we learn by looking at what God instructs us the use of these cups?
