Thanksgiving – Should We Observe It?
By J. Edwin Pope

Next Thursday, November 28, the United States will be celebrating the national holiday of Thanksgiving. While some question whether members of the church should observe this annual holiday, since it is not one of God’s Holy Days, established by Him and recorded in Scripture – the principle of participating in and celebrating national holidays is made clear in the Scripture.

The first observance of this holiday occurred in the fall of 1621, when the Governor of Plymouth Colony, William Bradford, appointed a day for feasting and thanksgiving. That observance was established to show gratitude to the Almighty as that difficult year drew to an end and the harvest was plentiful. Following that first observance, the colonists continued to celebrate days of thanksgiving annually, in recognition of the blessings received of this new land. When we observe this day traditionally, we think of that group of Englishmen who settled at Plymouth in 1620.

This day has been preserved and continued by Presidents of these United States who believed in God and the Bible as a source of national greatness and integrity. Our first President, George Washington, issued a Thanksgiving proclamation in honor of the new Constitution. He stated, “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.”

God illustrates this principle in Deuteronomy 17:18-19. He specifically shows that it is His desire that the leaders of nations govern based upon the principles and laws of the Bible.

Abraham Lincoln recognized the need for the people of this nation to stay close to God if we would continue to receive the blessings, which were being afforded us by the Almighty. On October 3, 1863, President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day; a day set aside to give God thanks for the blessings He continued to bestow upon the nation.

Then in December 1941, the U.S. Congress established the fourth Thursday of November from that year forward, officially, as Thanksgiving Day.

But would God have us keep this day as a national holiday in respect of all that He has done for this people and nation, since this is not a day He established and specifically requires in Scripture?

We have examples of national holidays established by the Jews and recorded in Scripture for historical purposes – days, which were not established specifically by God to reflect His overall plan. Thus, the fact that Thanksgiving Day was established by the early colonists rather than by divine authority, does not, in itself, make it wrong for a Christian to celebrate such a day.

In John 10:22-23, we find Jesus attending the “Feast of Dedication,” which was established by the Jews to commemorate the purification of the Temple at Jerusalem. That feast was celebrated on the anniversary of the day that the re-establishment of divine worship occurred, after Antiochus Epiphanes had been vanquished and the Temple purified. This occurred around 165 A.D.

Thus, Christ’s attendance at the annual holiday clearly illustrated that it was good and right to attend and celebrate a national holiday established for the right purposes. There was nothing wrong in celebrating this holiday and giving special thanks to God on that day!

God led Esther and Mordecai to establish the Feast of Purim to commemorate the deliverance of the Jews from Haman (Esther 9).

A very significant point here is that in neither of the Jewish holidays of the “Feast of Dedication,” nor the “Feast of Purim,” is there any hint of a pagan origin. That is true also in relation to the establishment of Thanksgiving as a national holiday. It is not true with Christmas, Easter, and Halloween, all three of which were originally celebrated in honor of pagan gods and pagan traditions and which, today, continue to be used as counterfeits of God’s ordained Holy Days.

Numerous Scriptures reveal to us that we are to submit to the laws and ordinances of the land as long as these laws and ordinances do not conflict with God’s Laws and His Way of life. Examples of such Scriptures are: I Peter 2:13-18; Matthew 22:21; and Romans 13:1-4.

The overall point in these Scriptures is that orderly government is part of God’s provision for the land, even in a wicked world. No ruler exercises control except as God permits (Daniel 4:17). Under normal circumstances, one who would follow God’s Way is to be obedient to the laws of the land except where those laws contradict the Laws of God. In such a situation – the Christian must obey God, rather than men (Acts 5:29; Daniel 3:16-18; and Daniel 6:10-28).

Of all the national holidays observed in this great land today, Thanksgiving stands out as one that we as Christians can truly embrace.

In the San Diego Union-Tribune, Tuesday, November 19, 2002, there is an article of significance, in which a federal judge in Montgomery, Alabama, ruled a day earlier that a Ten Commandments monument installed in Alabama’s judicial building must be removed (within 30 days) because it violates the separation of church and state. One might wonder how long a national holiday of the stature of Thanksgiving will continue to be allowed in this country.

Thanksgiving is a day that points the family and the nation to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is that God Who will soon be returning to this earth to establish a Kingdom and a Government, which will rule this world based upon the Laws of God. In the meantime we must utilize every opportunity to direct those we come in contact with – to that One, True God. Time for this world is swiftly running out!

 

How careful are we with our words? When we speak, do we do so to edify the hearer? Or do we, intentionally or inadvertently, tear down and criticize others?

Rather than being or coming across as accusatory or assumptive, we all must strive to be positive, uplifting, edifying and constructive, thereby showing the fruits of God’s Spirit.

This is not always easy, since we must overcome our own human nature and replace it with the nature of God. This is a life-long struggle. Human nature, being what it is, can invariably latch on to the negative; it always seems easier to pull down rather than build up. Proverbs 6:16-19 has something to say about those things that God hates:

“(16) These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
(17) A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood,
(18) A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil,
(19) A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.”

We should edify, not destroy. We should follow the wise instruction in Romans 14:19:

“Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.”

Let us speak words of praise about the good in other people. Let us encourage others to do their best. Let us comfort other people when they are discouraged. Let us be a shining example of the way God wants us to be.

Let us always seek to build up and not to pull down; to edify, never to destroy. In short, let us use our tongue and the written word to be a force for good, and not let our arch enemy, the devil, trap us into doing otherwise.

We need to always remember Christ’s words in Matthew 12:36-37, before we speak:

“But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

In light of this, let’s meditate over and apply Paul’s admonition in Ephesians 4:29-32:

“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom [better: whereby, Authorized Version] you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

Today, the more popular use of “I love…” ends with an activity, a food, some song, movie or personality. It would be stunning to hear someone actually say, “I love God with all my heart and with all my soul.”

How about us – those of us who have responded to the calling of God? God is surely finding out the answer by how we live our lives – day in and day out.

It was revealed to Israel that in order for them to have God engaged in their lives, they must love Him unconditionally. In Deuteronomy 13, verse 3, Moses records that Israel would be tested concerning the depth of their commitment and love for God.

Paul sums up that time period with these words, “But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.” (1 Corinthians 10:5).

How about most of us?

Jesus Christ gives us the answer. In John 14:21, ” ‘He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.’ ” Also, continuing in verse 24, ” ‘He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.’ “

It is really the “love OF God”, that is, God’s very love in us, that enables us to keep the commandments (1 John 5:3). In other words, although it is important that we have love towards God and His word, that alone is not enough. Rather, it is God-through His Holy Spirit – Who places His love within us (Romans 5:5). So, the key is to let God’s love in us operate and guide our lives.

In the Book of Revelation, in chapters two and three, Jesus speaks to the generations of believers who were to make up the church of God. In their times of testing, the core issue that remains is that of truly loving God.

Of the many trials to be overcome were things such as false doctrines and false teachers, immorality and personal sins, a lack of fervency and a self-satisfied sense of complacency.

To the first church, the church represented as Ephesus, Jesus has this grave and fateful admonition: ” ‘Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your FIRST LOVE.’ ” (Revelation 2:4). Continuing, the solution given is to “remember,” to “repent,” and to “do the first works” (verse 5).

But that cautionary advice from Jesus Christ is not just for that time. To all seven churches, He says the following: ” ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ “

If we are to love God with all our heart and all our soul – which is the state of first love – then, we, too, must awaken to “remember,” to “repent,” and to “do the first works!”
 

In Matthew 12:34, Christ made this timeless statement, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” What He is explaining here is that eventually, what we really are will be revealed by what we say. Christ also pointed out that it is not what goes into the ears that defiles us, but the words that come out of the mouth.

How can we make sure, then, that our heart is in harmony and conformity with God? Philippians 2:5 states, “Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus.” What mind was that? It was the mind of God. When Christ’s mind is ours, then our thoughts will be His thoughts, and our words will be His words. Then, we need not be ashamed to speak our minds on any given topic.

On the other hand, if we refuse to develop within us the mind of Christ, we deny Him. Christ told us, though, that when we deny Him, He will deny us. We are going into the winter season. A fair amount of time will pass till we reach the spring Holy Days. It is really important for us to draw close — and remain close — to God, especially at this dark time. The darkness of the winter months is also a reflection of the darkness of this entire world, which is right now in total chaos. Anyone who just picks up a paper or listens to the news should be able to see this. It seems like Satan is on a rampage, which would indicate that time is getting short.

We must not allow that the darkness of this world influence or overtake us. Instead, we must build a strong relationship with God, which is developed by talking to Him, and letting Him know what is on our minds, and what our hopes and our dreams are. James 5:16 tells us that, “The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” All of us must be vigilant in our prayers, especially during this coming winter season. At the same time, we are not to neglect our Bible study, since that is how we get to know our God better. In prayer, we speak to God our Father. During Bible study, our Father speaks to us, through His Word, Jesus Christ.

Finally, let’s not forget meditating about what we read in God’s word, praying to God to make the meaning clearer to us. Sometimes, it requires fasting to show God how desperately we want to know Him and His way of life.

Let us all fight the winter doldrums by developing a close and personal relationship with God and Christ. Then, the mind of Christ will be in us, and we need not be ashamed about what we speak.

The Feast of Tabernacles 2002 has come and gone, and the next annual Holy Days, the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread, are almost six months away. However, God has not left us without feast days in the meantime. In fact, God’s Church keeps a feast day every week – the Sabbath. But how are we to observe this weekly festival?

The Statement of Beliefs of the Church of the Eternal God explains:

“We believe that we are to observe certain weekly and annual Holy Days, during which time we are to attend Church services and to refrain from secular labor, including school, college or university attendance, and which time we are to dedicate and devote to worship, spiritual study, prayer, fellowship with Church members, and physical rest.”

To properly celebrate the Sabbath, we need to understand that it is a feast day, which is holy to God. When the sun sets on Friday, we are entering God’s holy time.

Since the Sabbath is a holy convocation (Leviticus 23:3), we should attend Church services as often as possible (compare Hebrews 10:24-25). We have always understood and taught, of course, that it is more difficult, if not impossible, for our scattered brethren to do so. Many of those who cannot physically attend our assemblies, participate in our live Internet Sabbath services, or, if even that is not possible, listen on the Sabbath to our audio sermon tapes.

We need to keep firmly in mind that whatever we do and think on the Sabbath should be in realization of the fact that we are spending time that God has set aside for a holy purpose (Isaiah 58:13-14).

In an interesting article of the Corvallis Gazette-Times, of February 10, 1998, titled, “A Matter of Faith,” the conflict of athletes, who refused to play on the Sabbath, was addressed. A Jewish Rabbi was quoted in the article, saying, “‘It’s part of a greater conflict – how to live a religious life in secular America. Some parents will just forget it and take their kids to the soccer games.'” But if we really want to be obedient to God’s will, we must not do so.

At the same time, the Sabbath is a Feast day (compare Leviticus 23:1-3). We must be careful not to repeat the mistakes of the Pharisees who made a burden out of the Sabbath, by adding to God’s law humanly devised restrictions (Matthew 23:4). The Jewish historian, Moses Hodas, explained, “The rabbis were men of faith, and their object was the service of religion, but their method of securing discipline was, like Plato’s, to provide authority for men’s smallest actions.”

Let’s review some of the laws devised by the Pharisees, as they relate to Sabbath observance. While doing so, let’s ask ourselves whether we have devised in our minds similar laws for others and ourselves?

The Pharisees decreed that a person was guilty of breaking the Sabbath if he carried a sheet of paper, or any food which weighed as much as a dried fig, or if he carried more than one swallow of milk, or enough oil to anoint a small part of the body.

If a fire broke out in a person’s home, he could carry out only the necessary food for the Sabbath. This meant, that if the fire broke out Sabbath evening, the person could take out enough food for three meals; if the fire broke out on the afternoon of the Sabbath, he could only take out enough food for one meal. The rest could not be carried out and had to be left to burn with the building. Further, only necessary clothes could be taken out of a burning house.

One might wonder whether their former Babylonian environment subconsciously influenced the Pharisees, when they devised these Sabbath laws. The Babylonians had set apart the seventh day of the Babylonian week, called “Shabattum,” as “ill omens” or “evil days.” It was forbidden on those days to eat flesh cooked upon coals, to change garments, or to call for a physician. This reminds us how the Pharisees accused Jesus consistently of Sabbath breaking, when He healed sick persons on that day.

One might laugh today about those restrictions, but we must realize that they were no laughing matter at the time of Jesus Christ. He collided with the Pharisees on numerous occasions, when He refused to abide by their man-made Sabbath regulations.

Let’s ask ourselves again: Have we created for others and ourselves similar rules as how to keep and not to keep the Sabbath – although these rules cannot be found in the Bible? We must be very careful not to do so, lest we fall into the same trap of self-imposed religion that the Pharisees had fallen into. God did not accept their worship – and neither will He accept ours, if we follow their lead.

We have just completed the observance of God’s fall festivals and in so doing have now for another year kept God’s Annual Holy Days in accordance with His instructions (Lev. 23, Numbers 28 & 29, Deut. 16).

Upon returning home we now must immediately face the holidays of this world’s religions, which have been established by men in the keeping of their religious ideas. These days have been set aside by men for the intended purpose of honoring God. Yet, He admonishes us not to do such things! (Deut 12: 29-32).

Just today, I read an article in The Californian, an edition of The North County Times, in which author Caryl Krueger, in an effort to “focus on fun” in the observance of Halloween, suggests that youngsters be educated in the tradition of Halloween.

Quoting from this article, Ms. Krueger writes, ” What can we do to reinvent this celebration, formerly beloved by families?

“Well, Halloween can be saved. First, let’s consider how the word is pronounced since that has something to do with how it is celebrated. It is not hollow-een, as many say. Hollow means empty or worthless. It is Hallow-een. To hallow means to make holy or blessed. Halloween means holy evening, the night before All Saints’ Day.

“Share with your youngsters the way some Halloween traditions started. The Irish contributed jack-o’-lanterns. These commemorated a miserly person named Jack who was unable to enter heaven because of his sins, nor could he go to hell since he had played pranks on the devil. So he was doomed to walk the earth with his lantern.”

She goes on to write of, “… the ancient Druids, who thought that witches, ghosts, fairies, and spirits roamed about trying to harm people. They also thought that cats were sacred and they were formerly human beings being punished for evil deeds.

“These same Druids held a festival each autumn called Samhain (pronounced SOW-en, with the first syllable rhyming with plow) to honor the end of summer. Other Europeans had a similar harvest celebration.

“Then in the year 700 when the Roman Catholic Church established November 1st as All Saints Day, all the old pagan customs and the Christian feast day were combined into one grand festival for October 31, the night before All Saints Day.”

What has God continually told His people concerning such pagan practices and the combining of His truth with the teachings of this world, which we know as syncretism?

“You shall not worship the Lord your God that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods” (Deut. 12:31).

God tells us in Amos 5:21 – “I hate, I despise your feast days, And I do not savor your sacred assemblies.”

Yes, God hates the traditions that have been established by men in the worship of their gods and he forbids us to have a part in such doings, especially in our worship of Him. They are anathema to God and to His Way and we must not have anything to do with those ways.

Let’s be aware now, more than ever before, as the evils of this world and their leader, Satan the devil, try to beguile God’s chosen people away from the One True God and His Truth – For we must be diligent to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.

“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those that worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4: 23-24).

Anything contrary to His teachings is unacceptable to God!

Growing up we used to play a game called “That’s Good, That’s Bad”. One person would start a scenario and then everyone would chime in accordingly and say, “That’s good!”, except for the next person in the circle who would say, “No, that’s bad because…” and then everyone would say in unison, “Oh, that’s bad!”, except for the next person in the circle who would say, “No, that’s good because…” and so on and so forth.

For example:
A young man went riding on his favorite horse one day.
That’s good.
No, that’s bad because he fell off and broke his leg.
Oh, that’s bad
No, that’s good because a war broke out and he wasn’t able to be recruited.
Oh, that’s good.
No, that’s bad because…

It was a good opportunity to teach us as children that not everything that seemed good was good nor was everything that seemed bad,bad.

The same is true for us today as adults in God’s Church. We are enduring many trials and sometimes we may wonder to what end. We may ask ourselves how anything good could possibly come out of what I am going through now. We can rest assured knowing that God is working out a purpose in our lives, one in which He is refining us and shaping us into His image.

There is a reason for what we are going through now and many times when we say, “Oh, that’s bad”, God is saying, “No, that’s good!”. During these times of hardship it is our part to be happy with whatever state that find ourselves in and to be thankful in all things as God does a GOOD work in us.
 

This title is from a song by the same name. It was recorded by Bing
Crosby and the Andrews Sisters in 1944. The opening lyrics are:

You’ve got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don’t mess with Mister In-Between

A good message for that time of
World War II-likewise, this is a theme we could all embrace in our
dealings with each other. In a time when we have such staggering
material abundance, we find ourselves woefully in need of satisfying,
productive and lasting human relationships. One key for improvement is
found in HOW we approach our various relationships-whether family,
friend, neighbor, co-worker and, yes, even strangers.

In the
Bible, in Philippians 4:8, note the approach that Christians are taught
to have: “Finally, brethren, whatever things are TRUE, whatever things
are NOBLE, whatever things are JUST, whatever things are PURE, whatever
things are LOVELY, whatever things are OF GOOD REPORT, if there is ANY
VIRTUE and if there is ANYTHING PRAISEWORTHY-MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS.”

This teaching will become more than lofty platitudes IF we put it to practice!

For
example, a coach may watch a youngster shoot a basketball time after
time and miss. But when he makes the shot, he reinforces it with a
short compliment, a nod or smile. That positive, correct action is the
building block for making more shots. Life is not so different. We all
need to watch for opportunities to find the good in our dealings with
others.

All of us need positive examples to look to. Those who
follow Christ have that kind of example-and that without parallel! We
also need positive feedback. This is a responsibility we can fulfill
with each other by adopting an approach filled with the positive.

Too
much of the substance of our lives in this generation is fueled by what
is wrong. It is rather easy to get swept along with this pattern of
behavior-even for those who now know better!

Let’s all take
inventory of our relationships, and let each of us, individually, work
on how we relate to everyone – it’s not so hard, just “accentuate the
positive!”

Paul gives strong admonitions to those “upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (1 Corinthians 10:11). He warns them not to “lust after evil things,” not “to become idolaters,” not “to commit sexual immorality,” not “to tempt Christ,” “nor to complain.” (vv. 6-10). We need to understand that Paul is primarily talking to us today. It is we “upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”
 
The prophet Daniel received revelations from God, which he wrote down, without understanding them. His writings were to be sealed “until the time of the end.” (Daniel 12:4, 8-10). The “end,” referred to in those passages, is the time of Christ’s return and of the first resurrection (Daniel 12:13).
 
Likewise, the information which John received, was also related to the very end of our age — it pertained to events leading up to and occurring at a time, called the “day of the Lord.” Christ had received this information from God the Father, and He passed it on to John through an angel. We read in Revelation 1:1-3, that the message pertains to events which will “shortly come to pass,” and that those who hear the message should not forget it, “as the time is near.”
 
But, how can we be sure that these scriptures are really primarily directed at us today? The answer is — a passage in Revelation 17:10 gives us a time perspective. This passage talks about the seven last resurrections of the “Holy Roman Empire.” It reads, “There are also seven kings [or kingdoms]. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time.” This “short time” is described in verse 12 as “one hour,” and in Daniel 7:25 as “3 1/2 years.”
 
God revealed the meaning of this passage in Revelation 17:10 to Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong precisely at the time — in the late 30’s and early 40’s of the 20th century — when the first five of the seven last resurrections of the “Holy Roman Empire” had come and gone, and when the sixth resurrection was in power. It was the resurrection brought about by Hitler and Mussolini. At that time, the last and final resurrection had not occurred yet — but when it would occur, it would only continue for a short time. We see right now before our very eyes that last and final resurrection forming in Europe. That is one of the reasons why we KNOW that the time is short.
 
When John wrote the book of Revelation, the end-time events, described therein, would not happen for more than 1900 years. But they are happening now. The message contained in the book of Revelation is primarily for us today.
 
Notice Christ’s warning to the remnant church in Philadelphia, “‘Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown'” (Rev. 3:11). He states in Rev. 22:7, 12, and 20: “‘Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book… And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work…’ He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.'”
 
Again, we see whom Christ is primarily talking to — it is His church at the very last days, prior to His return. Notice, too, Paul’s comment in Philippians 4:5:
 
“Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand!”
 
And James adds, “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord… You also be patient, Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand… Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!” (James 5:7-9).
 
Although judgment had begun at the house of God, the Church  (1 Peter 4:17) — technically, the Judge was not standing at the door, when James wrote down these words. But notice, what Christ tells the very last era of God’s church — the era in which we live today:
 
“‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.'” (Rev. 3:20).
 
Now, Christ DOES stand at the door. His return IS at hand! Christ IS coming quickly. Let’s make sure that we are getting ready for His return — and that we are not keeping our individual doors locked. If we were to prevent Jesus Christ from entering our lives today, we might find ourselves in the situation that He may not open to us His door to the Kingdom, when He returns.
 
Do you remember what will happen to the five foolish virgins, when the bridegroom returns and finds them unprepared? When the return of the bridegroom was delayed, all the virgins fell asleep, but the wise ones were able to “make themselves ready” (compare Rev. 19:7) when the cry was heard at midnight that the bridegroom was coming (Matthew 25:5-6). The foolish virgins, however, were unable to get ready “on such short notice.” We read in Matthew 25:10-12, “And while they [the foolish virgins] went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready [the wise virgins] went in with him to the wedding, and the door was shut. Afterward the other [foolish] virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'”
 
They had not opened the doors of their hearts to Christ — they had not allowed Christ to enter their lives and to direct and lead them. Let us take good note of Christ’s warning to all of us today, in Matthew 24:13, “‘Watch therefore [that is, get ready, because the time is short], for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.'”
 

The Feast of Trumpets is swiftly approaching, a day which pictures Christ’s return to this earth as King of kings and Lord of lords and reflects the beginning of a series of events culminating in the putting away of Satan for a thousand years and the establishment of the Kingdom of God on this earth.

We see continued trouble in the world which was predicted millennia ago to happen in the last days. Christ, while on this earth, spoke of a time of wars and rumors of wars, of famines, pestilences, and earthquakes – of false prophets deceiving many, and of peril for His chosen people – even lawlessness within their ranks and the love of many growing cold.

What is our number one objective as we come down, according to Biblical reckoning, to the end of 6,000 years of mankind’s existence on this earth? Is it not to have a part in the establishment of God’s great Kingdom on this earth in the very near future? What could be more important to this remnant of God’s chosen people than to understand God’s Truth as outlined in the Scriptures? Yet, is not a lack of true knowledge one of the major obstacles facing God’s people at the end time?

We are living in a time of technological advancement unimaginable just a few generations back. Yet God understood the ability of mankind to achieve such phenomenal growth in all areas of physical life. Very early in the history of man, God saw this ability to advance rapidly and in order to slow down this growth to His timetable, He actually came down and made adjustments to slow this whole process down (Genesis 11:4-8).

Today, unless God intervenes, mankind has come to the point where he has the ability to totally annihilate all life from the face of the earth. And it is a fact that man has never developed a weapon, which he has not eventually used. God’s timetable is now set and we can clearly see events drawing closer to a climax.

Now, relative to God’s people at this same time, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, tells us in 2 Timothy 4:3, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” God’s people are prophesied to begin turning away from the sound doctrines, which have been taught in the Church by God during the life of Mr. Herbert Armstrong, an apostle of Jesus Christ during our time.

Earlier in this book, Paul tells us, “…all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Many of God’s people no longer want to be reminded that we are living in such perilous times. Many do not want to be put under the pressure of these truths that reveal that it is through much tribulation, through many trials, that we will enter the Kingdom.

Paul instructs us, “…in the last days, perilous times will come. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, …lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power…”(2 Timothy 3: 1-5). And in verse 7, “…always learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

We are told in verse 13 that during this same period, “…evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.”

These words were inspired, through the apostle Paul, by God, as a warning to His people who would be living in the latter days. These words were meant for you and me.

Are we offended when a minister of God spends time expounding these and similar scriptures? Do we get weary or bored when we hear such things? Do we realize that it is in the many little things we do in our efforts to live our lives according to the example Christ lived that will eventually reveal our sincerity toward this way of life?

Mr. Armstrong seemed to think that one of the most important things for God’s people in these latter days would be for the bride to be made ready for the marriage supper that is planned at the return of Christ. The individual assigned this responsibility did not perform that task and we find the body of Christ scattered in disarray. We should therefore, in addition to performing our responsibilities relative to preaching the Gospel to the world, be spending sufficient time in carrying out those important details relative to the feeding of the body of Christ in preparation for the marriage supper of the Lamb.

In Titus 2:12-14 Paul writes, “…we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”

Let us be zealous for good works, brethren. Let us do God’s Will, to live godly lives and to not be so easily offended by one another or by what we consider the milk of God’s Word. If we cannot take the milk, how will we be able to take the meat, both of which are plenteous in the Word of God? Or, do our ears itch to hear fables, speculations, and the hypocrisy of soothing words telling us we are all okay? Are we indeed rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing?

Dear brethren, we are in perilous times. However, our Lord Jesus Christ wants all of us in His soon coming kingdom when the last trump sounds. Let’s be there!