We have heard all these phrases ad infinitum: “Making America Strong Again! Making America Great Again!” Or, by contrast: “America Was Always Great.” Some have claimed the opposite: “America Was Never Great.” And now, recently, “America Is Back,” especially referring to an alleged better relationship with America’s allies.

But events in Afghanistan have totally destroyed America’s image in the world and as a reliable great superpower.

The Guardian wrote that “The 20-year western mission to Afghanistan collapsed in a single dramatic day.” It spoke of “deeply humiliating scenes for the Biden administration,” and that “a powerful international chorus is decrying the consequences of Biden’s too-hasty retreat,” calling it a “historic strategic blunder.”

The Hill remarked that “Team Biden is getting hit from the right, the left and everywhere in between for its miscalculation” regarding the success of the Taliban.

The Washington Post asked this question: “Whatever happened to ‘America is back’?,” citing Biden’s foreign policy promise to “rebuild alliances and restore U.S. prestige,” adding: “How can you say America is back when we’re being defeated by an insurgency armed with no more than [rocket-propelled grenades], land mines and AK-47s?”

Breitbart wrote that “U.S. allies are fuming at President Joe Biden’s failure to defend Afghanistan from the Taliban, wondering if the country’s rapid collapse, and Biden’s refusal to consult other countries before withdrawal, means America’s decline as a world power.”

In a strongly-worded opinion piece by the Editorial Board of the Washington Times, this was pointed out:

“President Biden’s statement on Saturday washing his hands of Afghanistan deserves to go down as one of the most shameful in history by a Commander in Chief at such a moment of American retreat. As the Taliban closed in on Kabul, Mr. Biden sent a confirmation of U.S. abandonment that absolved himself of responsibility, deflected blame to his predecessor, and more or less invited the Taliban to take over the country. With that statement of capitulation, the Afghan military’s last resistance collapsed. Taliban fighters captured Kabul, and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country while the U.S. frantically tried to evacuate Americans. The jihadists the U.S. toppled 20 years ago for sheltering Osama bin Laden will now fly their flag over the U.S. Embassy building on the 20th anniversary of 9/11.”

A more embarrassing moment for the USA could hardly be imagined. But we must understand that these events are in line with biblical prophecy. God promised that, due to the obedience of Abraham, one of his descendants, Manasseh, the first-born son of Joseph, would become great (Genesis 48:19). We know that today, the USA is biblical Manasseh. And indeed, the USA did become one of the greatest single nations in world history. But the times of greatness are definitely over and will not return until Christ restores it at His Coming. God declared that if the USA would become an unrighteous nation, in disobedience to God’s Law, its glory would be taken away from it and it would be defeated and destroyed by its enemies.

We see a small foretaste of this in the events occurring in Afghanistan right now. A small group of Islamist terrorists is able to defeat and put to shame the “greatest” nation on earth. Americans are on the run in Afghanistan, trying to get out of there as fast as they can, while leaving their weapons and military equipment behind.

Deuteronomy 32:30 says: “How could one chase a thousand, And two put ten thousand to flight, Unless their Rock had sold them, And the LORD had surrendered them?”

Psalm 44:9-10 adds: “But You have cast us off and put us to shame, And You do not go out with our armies. You make us turn back from the enemy, And those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves.”

Leviticus 26:36-37 states: “I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies… you shall have no power to stand before your enemies.”

In Deuteronomy 28:25, God adds that the following curse will overtake the USA: “The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them; and you shall become troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth.”

Ultimately, the USA will be hated and forsaken by all nations, including their “allies.” But the power which will finally defeat the USA in war won’t be Russia or China (even though they are most certainly not America’s friends), nor terrorist groups such as the Taliban, but a United States of Europe under a charismatic military leader—the “beast” of the Book of Revelation. We know that the beast will be of German or Austrian descent. But right now, nobody in Germany has stepped up to the plate. In fact, Europe, and especially Germany, are not escaping strong criticism for their mishandling of the Afghanistan debacle.

Bild Online wrote that Angela Merkel’s words and promises “were completely worthless,” decrying the “incompetence of our federal government on global issues,” and adding that “The end of the Afghanistan mission, for which [Merkel] is politically responsible, could not have been more devastating.” Deutsche Welle added that “The mission was one big lie” and that “the EU’s and Germany’s asylum policy is no less hypocritical” than the broken promises of the USA, claiming that “EU politicians have refused to acknowledge the gravity of the security situation in Afghanistan and that the international mission has failed.”

Those German politicians who have been officially named as candidates for chancellor in September, thereby replacing Angela Merkel who promised not to run again, are unpopular and viewed as weak and feeble.

But this will change soon, and a core Europe of ten nations or groups of nations will rise to give their power and authority to the beast. They will bring havoc and devastation on the earth, utterly destroying the USA and other English-speaking nations in wars fought with nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, but they won’t escape their deserved destruction, either.

We have read above that the 20-year mission in Afghanistan collapsed in one day. Likewise, the modern Babylonian system under the rule of the beast and the false prophet will also collapse and be destroyed in one day (Revelation 18:8)—even in one hour (Revelation 18:10).

These are indeed startling times which should wake everybody up. But most are sound asleep, especially in the USA. True protection and safety do not come from political platitudes, popular phrases and slogans or empty promises, but only from the God of the universe. If we have His help, nothing can shake us.

The challenge of knowing when to keep silent and when to speak is something that we are faced with quite often.  Various situations may call upon our actions when we may need to stand up for what is right.  But this is a big challenge because oftentimes, we speak more than we ought to, depending on the circumstance. There is one supreme example that we should emulate who was the Master at when to speak and when to keep silent, especially when He was being accused and also put to the test constantly by those around Him.

Christ always needed to remain vigilant as people attempted to set Him up, but He always found the “correct” way to respond.  In Matthew 27, Jesus was arrested and stood in front of the governor Pontius Pilate, and the governor asked Him in verse 11, “‘Are You the King of the Jews?’ So Jesus said to him, ‘It is as you say.’ And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.”

Continuing in verses 13-14: “Then Pilate said to Him, ‘Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?’ And He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.”

Another example can be found in Matthew 26:59-67 when Jesus faced the Sanhedrin as they were trying to accuse Him through false witnesses and testimony, and we read in verses 61-66 how He first reacted, followed by His response when pushed further:

“This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’ And the high priest arose and said to Him, ‘Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?’ But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, ‘I adjure You by the living God that You tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.’ Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, ‘He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy! What do you think?’ They answered and said, ‘He is deserving of death.’”

In John 8:5-7, Christ was being tested to see if He would judge the woman caught in adultery who was brought to Him by her accusers, and we see here again His first reaction, followed by His response in verses 6-8: “…Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.  So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.’ And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.”

In these examples, Jesus was patient and did not respond immediately until He had to.  This is the same quality that we also need to possess.  “… let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20).

Preparing ourselves and being ready at all times is crucial, which is why we need to have the knowledge through the pages of the Bible as our tool for success: “… always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15).

There is always a time to speak in silence, and that is by praying to God. We should never be negligent in this, and there is always a time for prayer in any given situation that we are faced with.  Just as God was the voice for Moses who guided and directed his words and fought his battles, God will do the same for us when we call out to Him.

God gives us the understanding to determine between right and wrong, when to keep silent, and when to speak up.  And when we are in a particular situation where we may be unsure how to respond, we let God know by putting it into His hands, in faith, and we will see just how He will work His wonders.

Many years ago, the former Worldwide Church of God (now defunct) printed a booklet, called, “The Modern Romans,” showing why Rome fell and drawing parallels with America at the time. Some of the issues raised in the booklet were these:

“What Roman Jeremiah could have prophesied [was] the ravages of wars, taxation, mounting crime, race problems, moral decay, subversion from within, political assassinations and public apathy – not to exclude natural disasters.”

Today, it is much worse, and a comparison with ancient Sodom would definitely be appropriate. Notice how bad things were in Sodom.

Genesis 19:4-5 states:  “Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot and said to him, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.’”

They wanted to sexually use and abuse Lot’s guests, not realizing that they were angels.

Some of the parallels with Sodom are striking, but there is much more. It is claimed that the United States is the world hub for pornography, both in production and in distribution, and that it is the world’s largest user of illegal and prescription drugs. Crime in its major cities is out of control, especially since the defunding of police. Divorce is rampant, and we have the spread of the LGBT movement affecting our youths. The Critical Race Theory propagated in schools can lead children to hate other races and may teach that they are themselves racist, if they are white, and to hate rather than love America. The national debt is at its highest level and unsustainable. They want to legalize pedophilia in order to abuse children legally without penalty.

You look at the news and you get the feeling that something is terribly wrong with the USA and other English-speaking nations, including Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Such a godless system cannot and will not survive. It is interesting that Nineveh was warned by Jonah the prophet and repented, and God relented on what He planned to do, even though later on, they were destroyed because they went back to their old ways.

It appears that Sodom was warned by righteous Lot, but the people were so corrupt and perverted that other than Lot, his wife and their two daughters, the whole city was completely destroyed by fire and brimstone from heaven. And even Lot’s wife craved to go back to Sodom and turned into a pillar of salt.

The United States and other English speaking nations have not reached the point yet of all, except for the very elect, being corrupted and perverted, but they are working on it. As a consequence, they will have fire and brimstone leveled on them via nuclear weapons from heaven and yet, because of God’s mercy towards them, being descendants of Abraham, they will get a warning like Nineveh did, but prophecy shows they will not repent of their corruption and sins.

We as part of God’s Church have a commission to give that warning to the English speaking nations and the other nations around the world to warn them of what’s coming.

That commission can only be accomplished through the dedication of faithful members and supporters of the Work through their tithes and offerings.

We need to get the warning out so that we do not fail in our commission. It’s not difficult in the current situation to pray for God’s Kingdom to come to end the madness, but we still have a job to do to bring that about. The world needs us, without knowing it, so let us continue to zealously fulfill our task given to us by God.

We tell people we love them—especially those to whom we are closest. Husbands and wives, parents and children, relatives and friends are people we may openly say this to, “I love you.”

What about God—have you said to God, “I love You”?

Of course, just saying the words might not be enough, but, like in human relationships, telling someone that we love them can really mean a lot. As much as encouraging another person about our commitment to them, we also strengthen our own resolve, and we show that we aren’t taking our relationship for granted.

Popular religious parlance often involves those who claim that they “love the Lord,” but those may be empty declarations without proof. Proof of our love for God is shown when we “keep His commandments” (1 John 5:3). Only when we walk in the truth of God will we then be able to obey what Jesus described as “‘the first and great commandment’”:

“‘“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind”’” (Matthew 22:37).

Imagine being asked by Jesus if you love Him! Peter was—three times in a row! (John 21:15-19). The Bible shows Peter did prove His love for both the Father and Jesus—by being obedient and fulfilling his calling.

God has told us that He loves us. In fact, He has loved us first—even before we knew Him: “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10); and, “‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life’” (John 3:16).

Knowing that God’s love for us is so complete, so unrestrained and so certain, then let’s make it a point to say to God, both the Father and Jesus Christ, “I love You”—asking as we do for the help to love them as they have loved and still love us!

We have just finished the annual ministerial Church Conference with great success and unity. We discussed many things, and we will continue collectively in doing the Work and feeding the Flock. And I want to thank everyone for their prayers in regard to the conference and its success.

It may be challenging at times to look at the size of our respective groups and feel discouraged or frustrated by the apparent lack of members. But something that I take courage and strength in is the fact that within the ministry, we are of like mind, and we uphold each other. At the end of the day, we are each, in our ways, helping to support, maintain and participate in building the Church, as God shows us and opens the doors for us, including how to preach the Gospel as a witness to this world (Amos 3:3). There cannot be dissension and confusion (James 3:16).

When we study the Bible, it is easy to see that, for the most part, the true people of God, in regard to churches, have not been large. Christ speaks about the little flock (Luke 12:32). He isn’t mentioning large swelling churches here, but rather a few gathered in His name, who WILL have tremendous power. While we know this, that doesn’t make it easier. But we KNOW from what Christ Himself says to us, that this will be the case. Matthew 24:12-14 says: “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” We have to continue to endure, persevere, grow and preach the Truth.

I think a lot about Elijah feeling scared about being the “only one” standing up for God, and God replying that He had reserved for Himself 7000 who had not participated in idol worship. We don’t always know what the fruits of our labor are going to produce nor at what time they will be produced. We cannot become discouraged about our numbers or lack thereof. We have to maintain the Truth.

It is also discouraging when people walk away from our fellowship. We cannot allow this to sway us. It is hard and painful at times to deal with these situations as they come up. I have personally dealt with this a few times as I am sure a lot of us have. In 2 Timothy 4:9-11, Paul lists people who left him in regard to the Work. In verse 16, he goes on to say how at first NO ONE stood with him in his defense except God; and this is the point I want to drive home. It doesn’t matter what happens as long as we are the ones staying close to God and accomplishing what needs to be done.

In Matthew 9:35-38, Christ tells us that it is God’s harvest and we are His workers. He tells us to pray for more laborers so they can help with getting the job done. We should each be asking ourselves, how can I help more, how can I participate more? And when there is an opportunity to be doing the Work, in whatever way, we should be approaching that with as much zeal and focus as we can.

As we get ready for the upcoming Fall Holy Days, it may be useful for us all to start preparing mentally so we can use the Feast days to help propel ourselves forward in the Work that lies ahead of us. Yes, it is getting more challenging; yes, it does seem that time is moving faster and the world is falling apart at an accelerated rate. This should inspire us and motivate each of us to draw closer to God, not scare or detract us from fulfilling our duties.

We will accomplish what God wants us to accomplish; we will finish our part in God’s Work as He sees fit; we will continue to grow in the mind of Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit; and we will not fail, if we stay close to God and are obedient to Him.

When people ask if anyone has ever seen God, they usually mean God the Father. The Bible is clear that no one has seen God the Father, except in a vision. As we learn from John 1:18. “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” Jesus Christ has made Himself known in many ways throughout history, including through physical expressions. These expressions, however, should not be confused with seeing Jesus Christ in His full glory.

For example, Jesus Christ revealed Himself to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:8-9). His presence was evident as He walked in the garden and spoke with them.

In Genesis 18:1-2 we find that Jesus Christ appeared to Abraham as a man together with two angels, also appearing as men. We know that those two are angels from Genesis 19:1. Christ and the two angels ate a meal that Abraham had arranged to have prepared for them. Later, the two angels went toward Sodom while the “LORD” spoke with Abraham (Genesis 18:22).

In Genesis 32, Jacob fought with Christ all night and in the morning he called the name of the place Peniel, meaning “Face of God”, because, as he said, “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved” (Genesis 32:30).

In Joshua 5:13-15, Joshua saw a Man with a drawn sword. Joshua fell on his face and worshipped, showing us that this was also an appearance of the LORD, Jesus Christ.

When we consider the example of Moses, we find in Exodus 33:11 that “the LORD spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend”. In all these examples mentioned so far, the LORD or Jesus Christ appeared as a man and not as a glorious Spirit Being. However, in Exodus 33:18, Moses asked to see God’s glory. In verse 20 God or Jesus Christ replied and said: “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” In verse 23 we find that God did allow Moses to see His back, but not His face. God stated later that Moses saw the form or similitude of the LORD (Numbers 12:8).

In these examples, men and, at times, women, had seen the appearance of God, actually Jesus Christ, but not in His full glory which is described in Revelation 1:12-18. However, a certain extent of Christ’s glory was revealed to the people. In Exodus 16:7, 10, the whole congregation of Israel saw the glory of the LORD which appeared in a cloud. Also, Ezekiel saw Christ’s glory in a vision (Ezekiel 1:26-28). Interestingly, King David stated in Psalm 17:15 the following: “As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” Here David is expecting to see Christ’s glorified face and His glorified likeness when he wakens. This is not just wakening in the morning as some commentaries explain it. But David used the term sleep as a symbol for death as we read in Psalm 13:3: “Consider and hear me, O LORD my God; Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death.” He knew he would not see God’s face in its full glory until he had died and been resurrected. He would also have been aware that Moses was not able to see God’s glorified face while he was still a human.

Another example of this terminology is found in 2 Kings 4:31. This is when a woman had miraculously received a son according to Elisha’s promise, but the son had died: “Now Gehazi went on ahead of them, and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was neither voice nor hearing. Therefore, he went back to meet him (Elisha), and told him, saying, ‘The child has not awakened.’”  Elisha then proceeded to bring him back to life. Here again, this physical resurrection is considered an awakening from a sleep.

As David said in Psalm 17:15, he would be satisfied to be like God or to be a glorified God being in substance, and to be with God forever. This was much more valuable to him than temporary, physical possessions. He also realised that at that time, he would be righteous. He had written about this time in the previous Psalm, Psalm 16:11: “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” He certainly understood what he was looking forward to.

Of course, this does not only apply to David. We are given the same promise from God in Matthew 5:8: “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.” This encouragement is also given to us in 1 Corinthians 13:12: “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 [by God].”

The apostle John re-emphasises this future for us in 1 John 3:2-3: “Beloved, now we are the children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” This is basically a repeat of David’s expectation in Psalm 17. We will see Christ in His full glory, as He is, because we will BE like Him, or better, we will be equal with Him in substance. We will bear His glorified image (1 Corinthians 15:49; 2 Corinthians 3:18), as Christ bears the Father’s glorified image (Colossians 1:15; 2 Corinthians 4:4). When the heavenly Jerusalem descends on the new earth, we read that we will also see the glorified face of God the Father (Revelation 22:4).

But, of course, there are conditions. In David’s case, he knew he would see God in righteousness. In fact, he wrote in Psalm 15:1-2: “LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart.” And in Psalm 119:172 we read: “All Your commandments are righteousness.”

And in Matthew 5:8 and 1 John 3:3, the ones who will see God are the pure in heart—those who have purified themselves. From this we see that God will raise us from sleep in a resurrection or change us if we are still alive when Christ returns, but we must be striving to live righteously and be pure in heart and life.

In this chaotic world of upside-down values, we have witnessed in the UK yet another example of what priorities are important to a national politician who has been at the forefront of the nation’s approach to the Covid pandemic. Matt Hancock, the UK’s Health Secretary, was caught acting in a compromising situation leading to the revelation of his adulterous affair, and it resulted in him losing his high profile job.

The BBC reported that “his resignation and apology followed photos published by the Sun newspaper showing him in an embrace with a colleague, Gina Coladangelo.  The paper says the photos of the pair – both of whom are married – were taken inside the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on 6 May 2021.”

The Sun newspaper added on the 25^th June 2021 that “Matt Hancock has today broken his silence to admit he ‘breached social distancing rules’ – but failed to apologise to his wife of 15 years after his explosive affair was revealed by The Sun.”

Politicmag.net added that the “Labour Party chairwoman Annaliese Dodds said of Mr Hancock: ‘He set the rules. He admits he broke them. He has to go.’”

What so many were complaining about was that “social distancing rules” were breached.

Much of the nation’s anger could be summed up by one of his constituents who said: “We’ve done what’s been asked of us for more than a year, and he betrayed all of us. He has broken his own rules and our trust. He simply could not be trusted anymore.”

Tim Stanley wrote in the Daily Telegraph on 28^th June 2021: “It says something about how morally twisted the 21st century is that Matt Hancock resigned not over adultery but over breaking social distancing rules, as if the latter is more serious than the former. In the 24 hours between exposure and resignation, during which he obviously thought he might be able to cling on, he described his affair as a ‘personal matter’ and the PM [Boris Johnson] considered the ‘matter closed.’ Mr Hancock was using adultery as a shield, as if the subject were so sensitive, almost sympathetic, that society would draw a veil over it.”

Priorities today don’t take into account God’s instruction on morality.   You can cheat on your husband or wife, you can father several children outside marriage, you can live together without getting married (fornication), you can practice, as a way of life, homosexuality and other perverted forms of behaviour, you can marry a person of the same sex, and in general, society just regards this as normal and acceptable behaviour.   But break someone’s made up social distancing rules and the flack flies.   Priorities wrong yet again.

It is going to take the great tribulation, God’s wrath and the return of Jesus Christ to get man’s attention.  It is the only way that there can be a response to the quagmire of ungodly behaviour which is now mainstream and part of society’s moral, or rather immoral, DNA.  Unfortunately, this story is replicated many times around the world on a daily basis, and much worse, too.   Satan has this world in the palm of his hand, and only Christ’s return will alter the landscape.

We must continue to pray for God’s Kingdom to come soon, when true standards of righteous behaviour will be required.   Only that event will reverse what we currently experience and the time when Satan’s influence will be removed for the benefit of all of mankind!

I was recently on a long bicycle ride, as I am apt to do in the summertime, and witnessed a minor accident when I was on the descent down the final hill. There was a man who appeared to be in his mid-thirties off to the side of the road half way down the hill standing next to his bicycle. The rocky ground he stood on was on a slight incline, causing him to lose balance, falling backwards to the ground. He simply fell over. If he had fallen on a grassy surface, it would not have been a serious fall. However, the ground was very rocky, and though I couldn’t tell for certain, it was easy to imagine that he could have hurt himself. I had about 5 to 10 seconds to react – enough time to stop and help. But I didn’t. I slowed down slightly and looked behind after I passed, seeing that the car behind me had stopped. The people in that car had acted out of concern for this stranger, but I did not for several reasons that essentially add up to poor judgment.

I learned a big lesson that day. My reflexes to help and express love for my fellow man need some exercise. The familiar parable of the good Samaritan immediately came to mind (compare Luke 10:25-37). In that story, a lawyer tested Jesus Christ, asking who his neighbor is, whom he is obligated to love. Jesus responds by telling a parable of a man, half dead on the side of the road, who the priest and a Levite both pass by. But the Samaritan sees the injured man, and offers him the compassion and help he needs. The answer to the question of whom we are obliged to love Jesus expresses in the form of a question to the lawyer. “‘So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?’ And he said, ‘He who showed mercy on him.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise’” (Luke 10:36-37). It was the Samaritan – that despised foreigner – who was the loving neighbor, acting with love and compassion for the injured man in the ditch. This is the example Jesus instructs us to follow.

The direct parallels of this story to the accident I witnessed still sting my conscience. While I cannot go back in time to make a better decision, I am able to use the experience to improve my decisions going forward. Even though this story is about a regret of my own, I believe that the lessons I learned are generally relatable. We all want to be the one who makes virtuous decisions perfectly. But we are all imperfect. We all make mistakes. We all miss opportunities for compassion. We all can do better. And that’s what this editorial is about – getting better at making virtuous decisions and acting upon them instinctively, without hesitation.

In the most recent Comments on News and Prophecy and sermon, “Will YOU Have Eternal Life in God’s Kingdom?” by Norbert Link on June 26, 2021, he made the emphatic statement about the importance of having an urgency and zeal in our lives as the time remaining before the return of Jesus Christ rapidly approaches. The question that we should all be asking ourselves is, “What do urgency and zeal mean for me?” Our answers will all be personal, but in whatever way we put urgency and zeal into action should demonstrate our readiness for the return of Christ as if it was to happen NOW. [We know, of course, that Christ could not come “tonight,” as certain prophecies must be fulfilled first. But the urgency of getting ready must be there. Also, if we were to die today, we would be facing Christ within the next second of our consciousness, when we are resurrected.]

How does urgency and zeal relate to a missed opportunity to help a stranger who has fallen in the ditch? Quite simply, our readiness for the return of Christ means that we actively, continuously, in every moment, and without hesitation work on the fulfillment of our Christian conversion. When we have an opportunity to act righteously, we do it without thinking twice about any inconvenience it might cause us. When presented with the call to follow Christ and participate in the Work of the Church, we appreciate the magnitude of the opportunity and do it (compare Matthew 4:18-22). When we have a decision to make to leave our worldly possessions behind in a moment, we do it (compare Luke 17:31). The prioritization of developing spiritual fruit above all other gain is how urgency and zeal work. Urgency does not work by sitting around to contemplate other options. Zeal does not work by having thoughts without action. This Way of Life must be at our core, directing all of our thoughts and actions if we want to be ready for Jesus Christ to return.

Urgency and zeal sound like great characteristics, but how do we develop that frame of mind and behavior? The answer is simple. Practice. “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous” (1 John 3:7). When we practice righteousness, we increase our ability to respond instinctively with righteousness. Remember that we are flesh and blood, carnal beings. Because of this, being mindful of spiritual things and bringing spiritual fruit to maturity do not come naturally. Only through spiritual practice will we be able to prepare ourselves to have the zeal and urgency that make us ready for the return of Christ.

Practice takes place in the little things just as much as the big things. “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much” (Luke 16:10). In innumerable ways we can consider the opportunity to express our zeal. It could be in the way we treat our family members, how we interact with a server at a restaurant, the bigger decisions surrounding our commitments in life, or simply how we respond when we see someone in need. In whatever ways we practice, our goal is to aim for an immediate reaction directed through spiritual motivations, so that it becomes a reflex. We will certainly stumble along the way as we practice, but it all helps us to learn. And if we don’t practice righteousness, we are not preparing the way Jesus instructed us. The consequences of failing to practice are dire. But we were not called to this Way of Life to fail. We can rest assured that if we actively work to please God through obedience and actively developing righteousness, we will be ready when Christ returns.

The times we are presently in bring forth many temptations where we may be enticed to do or say things in response to statements that go against what we believe, where we may also want to have our “voice” heard.   But even if we were to say something based on our own convictions, is whatever we say going to make a difference?  Biting our tongue and keeping quiet can be quite a challenge.  Knowing when to stay silent and when to speak involves much patience and wisdom.  These two characteristics don’t come out of thin air, but it is a gift from God to develop these traits, through His Holy Spirit, which is the same power that Christ was filled with when He was in the similar situations that we all go through when we are put to the test.

The question we hear often with all the inconsistencies around us is, what is the Truth?  That is easy for us to answer since we have been called out of this world to understand the Truth, by believing in the Bible, which is the Book of Truth, and it has been proven to us that the Bible is in fact true.  We read in 2 Timothy 3:16 that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”  The Bible proves itself.  We don’t pick and choose what we want to believe and accept things here and there that contradict and violate what the Bible says.   If we then believe that the Bible is the Truth, we need to go a step further as it says in the prior verses in 2 Timothy 3:14-15, “…continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

We do this through the two character traits of wisdom and patience, which go hand in hand, as wisdom produces patience. James 1:4-5 makes that clear.  “But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

Truth was also the focus of what Christ taught.  “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).  John 13:17 states: “And if you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

Our commission in the Church is to teach the Truth according to the Bible, and there will be those who do not agree and will forsake the Church, and there are also those who may know the Truth, BUT choose not to obey.  What has history taught us, when things had changed and change was introduced to the Truth?  It wasn’t Godly, for we read in Colossians 2:8,  “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”

This is a warning for us to be cognizant of worldly beliefs and not to return to what we came out of.  God has called US out of that lifestyle for the purpose of NOT returning to it.  And He has shown us the Truth through His Word in the pages of the Bible.  Christ spoke the Truth boldly when He had to, and this is what we are to do, when we have to.  “The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1).  When we are in a situation when our beliefs are being questioned, we need to stand up with boldness for the Truth, and there are many examples throughout the Bible of those who did just that.

We know what is right, we know what is good, and we know what the Truth is.  And if we know this, we have to do it, especially when the Bible makes it clear.  Using the knowledge that has been granted to us is vital in developing patience which will help us determine when to speak and when not to.

Many years ago, I read an article in the Plain Truth magazine which spoke about the old political guard stepping down or being replaced. Names of influential political figures, some already forgotten these days, still come to my mind—names such as, for example, Konrad Adenauer, Helmut Kohl and Franz-Josef Strauss from Germany; Charles de Gaulle from France, Mikhail Gorbachev from Russia; Indira Gandhi from India, Golda Meir from Israel, Margaret Thatcher from the UK, Anwar Sadat from Egypt; and Ronald Reagan from the US.

They ultimately gave way to a younger generation coming to power. Names come to my mind such as Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Angela Merkel and Benjamin Netanyahu.

This was some time back, and they have become, by now, the old guard themselves, having been taken off the political scene or going to be replaced very soon.

While Angela Merkel made it clear that she will not stand for re-election and that she will step down for good, others may still return. Then there are those of the old guard, mainly dictators, who try to cement their rule in perpetuity, such as Vladimir Putin of Russia or Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey.

At the same time, a new generation of politicians has been striving to take over the reins of rulership—younger people such as Emmanuel Macron of France, Sebastian Kurz of Austria, or Justin Trudeau of Canada.

In many cases, chaos and uncertainty have been the result—a fragile and very temporary government in Israel has been established and a very controversial and inconsequential candidate, Armin Laschet, has been chosen by Angela Merkel’s party to replace her.

Others, young and old, might have lost popularity or have been forced to exit the political arena for now, but perhaps not for good. In Germany, once very popular figures lost the approval of the masses— Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg or Jens Georg Spahn come to mind; in Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu had to step down but is fighting for his return; and the same could be said about Donald Trump in the USA or Silvio Berlusconi in Italy. There are others, of course. We just have to wait and see.

Ecclesiastes 1:4, 9 tells us: “One generation passes away, and another generation comes; But the earth abides forever… That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun.”

Overall, politicians came and went, but not much has changed. Many might have meant well, but life has not gotten better… rather, it has only gotten worse and more life-threatening. Rulers emerged to be replaced by others who then also went away—and no lasting improvement was accomplished anywhere.

Since the end of World War II, no German or Austrian political “giant” has stepped up to the plate to manifest himself as the prophesied dictatorial ruler over Europe. Some have been trying, but without success. Others might have fulfilled the required characteristics, but it was not time yet. However, unless we are totally off when it comes to our prophetic understanding, we know that that person, called “the beast,” is alive. And it does not appear that we will have to wait for another generation until he manifests himself on the world scene.

Are we now at the brink of a revolutionary development? Will that charismatic, political and military leader finally arrive in our days? Will the establishment of the final revival of the ancient Roman Empire occur very soon—that power which was, is not, and will be ascending out of the bottomless pit or the abyss of history (Revelation 17:8)?

We believe so. Do you? If you do, then remember that this power will bring unparalleled chaos, pain and terrible suffering to this planet. Christ said that unless those days were shortened for the elects’ sake, no human being would survive (Matthew 24:22), but that He will return to make an end to man’s misrule. Prior to His return, He promises us safety and protection from these awful times which are, as we believe, just ahead of us, but only if we are counted worthy to escape all these things which are surely coming to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man when He comes (Luke 21:36).

If you agree with all of this, then realize that the time allotted to us to qualify for God’s Kingdom is running out. We should prepare now for our eternal future. The time of war which we have been experiencing and will experience even more so, will be replaced by a time of universal peace (Ecclesiastes 3:8)—and that, we pray, VERY soon.