Now that’s an interesting headline, grammatically incorrect with a double negative, but it does have an effect.   Even with its flaws, most people will get the meaning.

https://wordhistories.net gives us this explanation of its origin:

“The colloquial phrases you ain’t seen nothing yet and you ain’t heard nothing yet are used to indicate that however extreme or impressive something may seem, it will be overshadowed by what is to come.

“The latter phrase is generally said to have first appeared as the title and in the lyrics of a song by Al Jolson and Gus Kahn (music by Bud De Sylva). Published in 1919 by Jerome H. Remick & Co. (Detroit & New York), You Ain’t Heard Nothing Yet was originally interpreted by Al Jolson.”

livemint.com echoes with this warning:

“The WHO (World Health Organisation) warned that worse pandemics could lie ahead, urging the world to get ‘serious’ about preparedness.  The novel coronavirus has had a devastating impact around the globe, but the World Health Organization warned Monday (December 28th) that worse pandemics could lie ahead, urging the world to get ‘serious’ about preparedness.  ‘This is a wakeup call,’ WHO emergencies chief Michael Ryan told reporters at a briefing marking a year since the UN agency first learned of the new virus spreading in China.”

The Covid19 virus has had an enormous effect on the world since the beginning of 2020, and the consequences of what we have seen and experienced have devastated many businesses, economies and, most importantly, many people’s lives.

However, there can be no question that the statistics have been skewed.   For example, walesonline.co.uk gives this example: “A patient who has tested positive, but successfully treated and discharged from hospital, will still be counted as a Covid death even if they had a heart attack or were run over by a bus three months later.”   Nevertheless, this virus is real and has wreaked havoc and heartache within countries and families around the world.

Wherever you look around the world there seems to be insurmountable problems and no country seems to be immune from them.  To list many of these now would be to just reiterate regular news items and much that is regularly highlighted in our weekly Update.

But wait.   This is just the beginning.   The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord are now, surely, just over the horizon and when it is God’s time for these things to happen, they will.   It will be the only way to get man’s attention!

With many panicking at the current state of affairs, what the future holds will be much, much worse.   Only our continual obedience to God’s ways will keep us from the suffering that the world will have to endure, and we are admonished in Luke 21:36 to: “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Much worse is to come, although the world is looking forward to normal service being resumed after the coronavirus has been defeated.   Who knows, there could still be a short breathing space after the current crisis has been dealt with before further devastating events happen to an unrepentant human race.  The key is to remember that these things will happen when God deems it right to do so in His plan for mankind. The timing is in His hands, but worse will surely follow.

And – be aware: You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet!

Over the past week, we saw the President of the United States of America banned from social media platforms for posting comments interpreted as inciting violence. While no violence or incitation of it is justifiable, the social media giant Twitter chose to interpret seemingly innocuous statements by President Trump as glorifying violence. In his final incriminating tweet, President Trump expressed his intention to not attend the inauguration of Joe Biden. How such a statement glorifies violence is beyond me. Yet, Twitter found a way to interpret this statement as a call to violence in support of his own election, therefore providing them with a justification to finally shut down his account permanently.

What I find most disturbing is how this example demonstrates the power wielded by the tech giants to squash voices that express ideas opposing the narrative set forth by mainstream media. In recent history, especially over the past year, we’ve seen several examples of objective and factual statements being subjectively judged as a “threat” because they spread information that conflicts with the mainstream agenda of those in power. When a message by someone contradicts that which serves their interests, those who are in power take away the privilege of expressing those ideas and beliefs. More and more, we see that only the popular ideas and beliefs in the world may be expressed freely. Any voice that contradicts is threatened to be silenced, discredited, ridiculed, denounced, belittled, and otherwise rejected. Their terms are to conform or be canceled.

For Christians, what we saw happen to the President of the United States should be a wakeup call. But not in the way that our political positions are threatened – because we do not involve ourselves in the politics of this world. Rather, what we are witnessing is the power of the few determining what beliefs are acceptable to express. And that is a threat to true Christianity.

The Christian beliefs that we hold, which are founded in the Truth of God’s Word, will conflict more and more with the world we live in. If we express those truths out loud, do we really think that we will easily be heard? Do we really think that the platforms that provide a means of sharing ideas will tolerate God’s Truth? If we as a Church preach the gospel, as Christ commissioned us to do, the world will hate us for it! Jesus Christ states this clearly (compare John 15:18, John 17:14, Matthew 24:9). What we see now are the possible examples of how this hatred of God’s Truth will manifest. The prince of the power of the air, Satan (compare Ephesians 2:2), will do whatever he can to prevent the Truth from even being expressed, because it contradicts with his agenda to lead man to destruction.

Sadly, this world has chosen to exchange the plain truth of God for lies (compare Romans 1:24-25). Until Jesus Christ returns, lies will prevail in this world with growing intensity. Our job is to never fall prey to those lies. To protect ourselves, we need to love the Truth and never shrink away from upholding it. “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-11). There is nothing that we can do to control the world we live in, but we can defend ourselves against its deceptive effects. If we continue to hold fast to God’s Truth with our whole heart, we will prevail against all other powers that threaten to extinguish it.

We all have responsibilities in this world. Whether we are parents, children or employees, we all are responsible for ourselves. Responsibility is given when one shows growth in areas of their lives. I find it interesting that the Apostle John was inspired to write: “I am writing to you, little children (believers, dear ones), because your sins have been forgiven for His name’s sake [you have been pardoned and released from spiritual debt through His name because you have confessed His name, believing in Him as Savior]. I am writing to you, fathers [those believers who are spiritually mature], because you know Him who has existed from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men [those believers who are growing in spiritual maturity], because you have been victorious and have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children [those who are new believers, those spiritually immature], because you have come to know the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has existed from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong and vigorous, and the word of God remains [always] in you, and you have been victorious over the evil one [by accepting Jesus as Savior]” (1 John 2:12-14 AMP).

John was writing this to encourage people to take a look at their lives, the things that they were going through day by day and to see if they didn’t find these things to be evident in their lives. If they weren’t then he wouldn’t have written this. In verses 3 – 6 he also wrote (AMP): “And this is how we know [daily, by experience] that we have come to know Him [to understand Him and be more deeply acquainted with Him]: if we habitually keep [focused on His precepts and obey] His commandments (teachings). Whoever says, “I have come to know Him,” but does not habitually keep [focused on His precepts and obey] His commandments (teachings), is a liar, and the truth [of the divine word] is not in him. But whoever habitually keeps His word and obeys His precepts [and treasures His message in its entirety], in him the love of God has truly been perfected [it is completed and has reached maturity]. By this we know [for certain] that we are in Him: whoever says he lives in Christ [that is, whoever says he has accepted Him as God and Savior] ought [as a moral obligation] to walk and conduct himself just as He walked and conducted Himself.”

The world always seems to revolve around the idea that every New Year is going to bring something better and that things will change in some way. But so often situations in people’s lives stay the same, year after year. WHY?

What about us? Are we growing? Or are we spiritually the same year after year? Why is it that some people show 30%, 60% and 100% growth, while some don’t show any growth and either show general disinterest or fully fall away?

It all has to do with our mindsets and what we are willing to put in. Are we truly willing to allow Christ to lead in our lives? Allowing Him to do this means we must be fully engaged in prayer, Bible study and meditation. In everything bringing ourselves into subjection (1 Corinthians 9:27).

In 1 Timothy 4:14-16 (AMP) Paul was encouraging Timothy to be growing so much that EVERYONE would be able to tell that he was making progress: “Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, [that special endowment] which was intentionally bestowed on you [by the Holy Spirit] through prophetic utterance when the elders laid their hands on you [at your ordination]. Practice and work hard on these things; be absorbed in them [completely occupied in your ministry], so that your progress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself [concentrate on your personal development] and to your teaching; persevere in these things [hold to them], for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”

This edification is not always easy to maintain. We go through “seasons” in our lives where situations are not always easy to maintain where growth may feel incredibly painful and unbearable. But the truth is that if we maintain our relationship with God and Christ and we are moving forward, even if it is just on our hands and knees, like babies crawling forward, we will make it through whatever is thrown at us.  “Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord [always doing your best and doing more than is needed], being continually aware that your labor [even to the point of exhaustion] in the Lord is not futile nor wasted [it is never without purpose]” (1 Corinthians 15:58 AMP).

When we become weary and burdened by the lives we live, we must remember why we are here and why we continue to be dedicated to growing spiritually. It is not for our own glory:

“But grow [spiritually mature] in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory (honor, majesty, splendor), both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”  This is truly the goal that each of us should be seeking daily. If we are careful to keep these things in mind we will be useful servants of God who are truly growing into the roles that He is preparing for us as Children in His soon coming Kingdom” (2 Peter 3:18 AMP).

Throughout the years we have written many articles and have given many messages about what we can expect in the upcoming year. We conclude the current year with a summary and review of what we all witnessed around the world and then we ask the question on what we can expect for the “new year.”  We make mention to the fact that Christ will return soon and that we need to be prepared for that, watching what is going on in the world in relation to biblical prophecy.  We have articles that were written over 10 years ago alluding to these statements, along with warnings of what the very near future is going to bring.

Even though these end-time prophecies revealed in the Bible haven’t come to pass, and we don’t know exactly when they will occur, we get more of an idea of how much closer we really are getting based on the situation we are currently in, and we can EXPECT things to get much worse.  We can see just how quickly time has passed in 10 years and we can see just how quickly the world has changed in just one year.  In just one year the livelihood of every individual around the globe has been affected and negatively impacted by just one virus.

The beginning of sorrows which Christ talks about in Matthew 24:4-8 is what we will be going through very shortly, yet the majority of the world doesn’t even realize it, or they do not understand what is really going to happen.  We have already experienced a small taste of what is described here with deception, false prophets, wars and rumors of wars, famines, diseases, and earthquakes in various places, but this is only the beginning.   Many do expect and believe that there will be an “end of the world” but how are they really preparing for it?  Are they preparing like God’s people are supposed to be? I dare to say that not even 1% of the entire population in the world has any understanding of what is going to come.

That which is certain is the fact that we do not know exactly when Christ will return (Matthew 24:36).  God says that a thousand years is like one day to Him as stated in 2 Peter 3:8, so imagine what only 10 years is like in God’s eyes.  What we do know is that the time is going to come when God has had enough, His patience will end and Christ’s coming will not be delayed anymore, and the horrible things that are prophesied in the Bible will begin to take place.

There are so many events that still need to come to pass before Christ’s return and we are certainly witnessing at this very moment the beginning stages of sorrows.  Things can develop so quickly and catch everyone off guard, which is why we can’t be slack in our responsibility to keep watching and being spiritually prepared (1 Thessalonians 5:1-4; Revelation 3:3).

We have just scratched the surface of what is imminent.  So again, we ask the question, what can we expect for this upcoming year?  Will it get better?  Based on what we are going through presently with man’s speculative measures in “controlling” the current pandemic, it would be extremely difficult to imagine that things will go back to “normal.” This is NOT what the Bible reveals.  We KNOW what is going to come and we had better make sure that we are on God’s side for OUR lives are in HIS hands.

When this Editorial is published, many are celebrating the lie of Christmas. The professing Christian world has embraced the Christmas story, allegedly in memory of the birth of Christ, while that holiday is pagan to the core and has nothing to do with our Savior. An “alternate” narrative of fake news has suppressed the Truth for almost 2,000 years and replaced it with human fairy tales inspired by Satan, thereby creating an alternate “reality.” But it is all nothing but a fanciful and harmful illusion.

We have witnessed another fanciful and harmful illusion—in fact, many of them—in the year 2020. If there was one development of events which had a common denominator and stood out more than any other, it would have been the role of the mass media, in conjunction with certain politicians and experts, in a combined effort to suppress and set aside the Truth, while publishing and propagating false and alternate narratives and fake-news “realities.”

Just think of governmental restrictions and lockdowns to combat the coronavirus pandemic, based many times on inflated figures of test results and “cases.” Much has been reported about the inaccuracies of the numbers, and you can read many articles in our weekly Updates quoting such information. The tragedy is, the mass media ignored the facts and engaged in a war against those who dared to disagree with the “official” opinions of Dr. Fauci and other “experts,” thereby allowing mainly left-wing state governments to engage in repeated lockdowns, while destroying the livelihood of small business owners and others and causing much more physical and mental harm to grandparents, parents, children and grandchildren than the coronavirus did or could have done.

You might also want to think of the mass media’s and the left-wing politicians’ treatment of violent demonstrations by, among others, the Antifa and Black Lives Matter movements, in combination with the attempt to destroy or rewrite America’s history and smash monuments of historical figures. If these events were reported at all, they were explained as legitimate expressions of concerns about racial discrimination, while those who pointed out the hypocrisy and racism on the part of violent demonstrators and their supporters were maligned and persecuted.

It should also not be surprising, of course, to realize that the presidential elections were rigged and stolen, according to the view of most Trump voters and many others. The mass media and many Democrats and anti-Trump groups have been trying desperately to suppress the evidence for such belief, even falsely alleging that claims of voter fraud and irregularities were baseless and without proof. This might backfire, as nearly 77% of Trump voters and over 35% of Independents and Democrats believe that the election was indeed stolen.

Long before Joe Biden became president-elect, as determined by the Electoral College in December, he was already referred to as such in the mass media, even though this was clearly premature and legally untenable. Worse yet, the mass media, being in cahoots with many Democrats, intentionally and willfully suppressed the Hunter Biden scandal until after the election, fearing that otherwise, their candidate would not win. They might have been right with that “concern.” It is telling that fifty-six percent of Americans believe it is likely Joe Biden was consulted and perhaps profited from his son Hunter’s overseas business deals, while fifty-two percent believe many news organizations ignored the Hunter Biden story to aid his father’s presidential campaign. In addition, according to one poll, seventeen percent of Biden voters said they would not have voted for him had they known what the national media refused to report. In another poll, at least 9.4 percent of Biden voters would have changed their vote if they had known about the Hunter Biden scandal. Many Americans who had already cast ballots in early voting unsuccessfully sought to change their votes after learning of the Hunter Biden emails.

Joe Biden has steadfastly refused to comment on his son’s alleged misconduct, except to say that he was totally uninformed about what his son was doing; that he did not obtain any financial benefits from his son’s conduct; that he trusts his son; and that he does not believe that his son did anything wrong. And that even though the evidence is mounting that all of these statements are dubious at best and false at worst. This got me thinking of God’s instructions in regard to the parent-child relationship; especially since Joe Biden is a practicing Catholic who claims to attend church every week.

There are many biblical examples of parents having been too negligent and permissive regarding their children’s unrighteous behavior. Eli knew about the corrupt conduct of his sons, but he did not prevent them from continuing in their service at the tabernacle (1 Samuel 2:12-17, 22-25).  A man of God told him that he honored his sons more than God (verse 29). Samuel did not correct his corrupt sons either, but let them continue in their ungodly behavior (1 Samuel 8:1-3). The same is true for David who did not rebuke his rebellious son Adonijah at any time (2 Samuel 23:5; 1 Kings 1:5-6). In every case, the consequences were disastrous.

It may be easy and convenient, as parents, to look the other way when it comes to their children, but this must not be done. We must follow God in everything, and we must love Him and His Word more than anyone or anything else, including our own mate, our families, our parents and our children, our friends, and even our own lives (Matthew 10:37-38; Luke 14:26). In Old Testament times, parents were asked not to tolerate the ungodly conduct of their unrepentant rebellious children. Rather, they had to show their disapproval, when called upon to do so (Deuteronomy 13:6-10; 21:18-21). The principle of physical or at least spiritual separation, if need be, still applies today, and it also applies, of course, to the children’s reaction towards the unrighteous behavior of their parents.

We are living in a thoroughly corrupt society, where anything goes. Every lie, every abomination is accepted and many times even propagated, while the truth is “fallen on the street” and “fails” (Isaiah 59:9-15). As true Christians, we cannot change society, realizing that this evil rotten world is Satan’s, not God’s. We should not expect to find righteousness where Satan governs, but we can and must pray for God’s Kingdom to come and His Government to be restored on this earth, while keeping ourselves unspotted from the world with its rulers, politicians and experts (James 1:27). And we must NEVER ever begin to justify and embrace the wrong ideas they stand for, nor tolerate and imitate their evil and corrupt actions.

This phrase, as quoted in the title of this Editorial, was coined by Pilate in the presence of Christ during His trial (John 18:38), just prior to His crucifixion. We know of course that the Bible tells us that God’s Word, the whole Bible, is Truth. So are His commandments.  Psalm 119:151 states: “You are near, O LORD, And all Your commandments are truth.”

John 17:17 quotes Christ’s words to the Father as follows: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”

Truth seems to be in short supply these days with all the lies, half-truths, gross exaggerations, hyperboles, and the miss-spoken (nice way to say that one lies) and false statements which are prevalent today. All of this adds credence to the old adage: “Believe nothing that you hear and only half of what you see.” This makes the world we live in pretty pathetic. The news media constantly pushes lies, and so do a lot of politicians and of course the governments, at times.

How did we reach such a state? The originator and father of lies is Satan, as stated by Christ in John 8:44: “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”

When dealing with man, Satan spoke that original lie to Eve in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:4 records this lie:  “Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die.’” By telling this lie to Eve, as they DID die, he was also saying that God was a liar who had told them they would die for eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Talk about twisting and perverting the Truth! Satan was guilty of what he was accusing God of, that is, of lying.

We see this approach today in some politicians. One in particular was accusing the President of the USA for four years of being a Russian spy, a collaborator with and an agent for Russia which was a blatant lie without merit or proof, but the mainstream media ate it up and spread that lie. In the last few days it has been revealed that in the past, that politician was apparently associated with a real Chinese spy who helped him raise money to get into Congress. So what he accused the President of was what he seemed to have been guilty of himself. This may help to explain why few people believe what politicians say.

Another politician spent four years saying without proof that he had evidence that the American President was colluding with the Russians. This turned out to be a lie, and that politician was called by a news commentator as being a “congenital liar.” That description would really look good on one’s resume!

Thankfully, this age of lies and deceit is coming to an end when we will have just government on earth under the leadership of Jesus Christ in the Millennium. Isaiah 9:7 reports in advance: “Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”

Notice, judgment and justice will prevail from that time forward. It will be a world where lies and deception are no more, and when we can truly reap the fruits of Truth.

“I want to prove it for myself…” is something we all have thought, said or done. Being warned to not touch a hot stove does not always prevent us from getting burned. Unfortunately, good advice to not make dangerous mistakes may not be enough for us.

It certainly wasn’t for the nations of Israel and Judah:

“And the LORD God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, till there was no remedy” (2 Chronicles 36:15-16).

These nations proved what God had said would be the consequence for their disobedience. They chose sin and rebellion against God, all of which led to national captivity. Daniel wrote of this:

“We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him. And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster…” (Daniel 9:10-12).

And so it is, today! Great disaster is coming upon the whole world, and it will first focus on the modern descendants of Israel and Judah (prophetically spoken of in Jeremiah 30:7 as “‘the time of Jacob’s trouble’”).

We know these and many other similar biblical passages. They have been a motivating force in our lives. In recent decades, there were others who, for a while, believed God but then chose to ignore what they once knew. They have separated themselves from God—only to eventually learn firsthand the price of sin.

The world is not mindful of God or His laws, and with impunity people are unrestrained in following their own ways—defiant in their self-willed choices.

Jesus makes an epic comparison between the pre-Flood world and that of society just before His return to the earth by pointing out that people were and would be living separate from the Will of God (Compare Luke 17:26-30). His words are a warning for all who will listen.

When he was warned, Noah paid attention:

“By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Hebrews 11:7).

Here is a warning we in the Church of God must take to heart with all urgency and seriousness:

“And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues’” (Revelation 18:4).

If we are to be saved from the coming tribulation, now is the time to heed the warnings from God!

In the past months, half of the U.S. population has earnestly proclaimed the need for political change of the current administration.  In the previous election, this same sentiment drove the population to elect our current president.  Previous to that, President Obama based his campaign on “Change”.

This sentiment is nothing new in the ushering in of new administrations and is the foundation used to create that change.  What is noteworthy, especially in recent elections, is the impassioned desire of people to create these changes.  An amazing amount of money and time is spent in these endeavors, and for the party that loses an election, those resources are seemingly squandered.

In the bigger picture that God’s elect understand, we know that the world’s political infighting is all dross. But seeing the fervent desire of so many for temporary and unattained change should prompt us to question our passion for lasting change.

In so much darkness, it’s not always evident if our lights have dimmed.  Our zeal for the lasting change that only God can bring about can grow into an attitude of complacency.  We adhere to the law and look to our future with God but without zeal.  This attitude is prophesied for our generation.  Christ warns that we can become “wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked…” and He says to those with that attitude to “…be zealous and repent” (Revelation 3:18, 19).

The Church has always fought against this attitude, but this mindset is even more encompassing in these end times.  Without question, the world will drag us down with its Satanically inspired doctrines and erroneous passions. Keeping our lights bright takes enthusiasm, not just adherence, to God’s principles.

Paul encouraged the Church at Corinth to fight this same battle.  “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

We will be beaten down (mentally and possibly even physically) for our love of the Truth.  All of those of The Way experience hatred from the world.  Remember Peter and those apostles with him, after being jailed and released, were “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.”  They didn’t cower and hide the Truth but instead “…did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ” (Acts 5:41-42).  Change is going to happen because God’s Plan for mankind is real.  Let’s keep that hunger for life everlasting always before our eyes.

Over the years I have had many visits from a usually well-dressed couple of people who wanted to discuss Jesus Christ. At times I would answer their questions, but it was always obvious that they believed they knew the truth and wanted to explain it to me. As you might realise, their congregation was named Jehovah’s Witnesses. And they believed that what they were doing was a required part of their calling to be a witness.

The question that arises from this is, do we have a part in witnessing for Jesus Christ and, if so, what is it? First of all, we must know what a witness is. Here are some definitions from various dictionaries of what a witness could be.

1. An eyewitness. A person who sees an event and gives testimony about it.
2. An expert witness. A person who does not see an event but is highly knowledgeable about a pertinent subject and uses that knowledge in testifying.
3. In a religious sense, it can be an open profession of one’s religious faith through words or actions.

In the New Testament Church, the original apostles were eyewitnesses. They lived with Jesus Christ for three and a half years, ate with Him, saw His miracles and were taught by Him personally. He sent them out to the whole world as witnesses. Acts 1:8 reads: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Wherever they travelled, they taught about Christ from their extensive personal experience. The apostle Peter mentions this in 2 Peter 1:16: “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” The “we” refers to Peter, James and John who all saw the vision of the transfiguration of Christ on the mountain (Matthew 17:1-9). The apostle John also mentions this in John 1:14.

There are many other passages where the apostles, especially Peter, claimed to be eyewitnesses of the life and teachings of Christ. The apostle Paul was also directly taught by Christ and instructed to be a witness in Rome as well as Jerusalem. Acts 23:11 reads: “But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, ‘Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.’”

After these apostles, others were called to continue preaching and witnessing about Christ. An early biblical example is the evangelist Timothy. 2 Timothy 3:14-15 informs us that he was taught what was needed to be an evangelist, but also, that he had known the Holy Scriptures from childhood. While he was not an eyewitness, he would today be called an expert witness. Because of his knowledge and understanding, he was able to preach and teach (2 Timothy 4:2).

In Revelation 2:13, we read about another witness at Pergamos, Antipas. Most old and new versions of the Bible, except basically those related to the King James Bible or the Authorized Version, state that he was “My faithful witness who was killed among you…” This is, of course, where the Editorial’s title comes from. Actually, in three places God names His people as witnesses to the fact that He alone is God (Isaiah 43:10, 43:12 and 44:8).

That is some biblical history of witnesses. But what about us today, what is our role in witnessing? We know the Gospel will be preached in all the world as a witness (Matthew 24:14), and the Church will continue to be a part in that. While the ministry performs most of the preaching of the Gospel, the members support that preaching with their prayers and offerings. But individually, we also have a part to play in the witnessing.

In the sermon of the mount, Christ made this comment about His people, in Matthew 5:14,16: “You are the light of the world… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Jesus Christ wants us to live our lives as examples to all who see us. He wants us to interact with others in a manner and behaviour that shows a good light on God. In effect, we are to be a witness to God. Notice it does not say many words but good works. They may not understand what this witness means now, but they will understand in the future.

But there is a time to use words. As Peter writes in 1 Peter 3:15: “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and 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.” If we are seriously asked what we believe and why we believe it, we should be able to respond to their questions in an appropriate and friendly manner. Colossians 4:6 also gives us instructions on how to answer: “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how you ought to answer each one.”

So, none of us in this day are eyewitnesses and only a few are called to preach, but all of us should be living our lives in a manner that is pleasing to God. We should be a right example to others by our way of life and behaviour and by the way we answer them. In other words, each of us is to be a faithful witness to God.

A while ago, in the UK, a row broke out about the seating position of two presenters in a BBC breakfast programme. Unknown to most people except those concerned with such matters, it appears that the one who sits on the left (as viewed on television) is the more senior of the two presenters. A new male presenter replaced the exiting gentleman and was placed on the left with the existing female presenter, continuing on screen, on the right.

A BBC spokesman said: “There is no seniority in terms of who sits where on the BBC Breakfast sofa. It’s all about judging which is the best camera angle for the presenters.”

A large sexism row broke out and the outcry, particularly from the female lobby, bordered on the ridiculous. One blamed “deep-rooted misogyny in newsrooms” for the way male presenters are nearly always seated in the position considered more senior on the left.

This got me to thinking about man’s (and woman’s) need for position, power, seniority and the need to feel and be important. It would appear that the seating arrangements were far more important than the content of the programme. Whether this was a breakfast programme or a serious news programme, the same rules applied.

On news programmes, no doubt some of the reports would have been about such serious issues as the migrant crisis, wars in different parts of the world, serious accidents and political issues which may well have impacted on the whole of the population. In addition, serious concerns with human suffering, population displacement and death and destruction tend to be a staple diet of news programmes but the main concern of the presenter and those supporting her position seemed to be about where she sat to report such news and what it said about her position as the senior (or otherwise) presenter of the programme.

Talk about getting priorities wrong! This was a classic example of the “me first” society that we live in today. Such an approach seemed to be that the need to be important, seen as important and anything that impacts adversely on those two requirements was to be challenged.

But what about true Christians – we’re different, aren’t we? We certainly should be, but how do we do in such circumstances?

The Bible gives a number of bad examples of where position was so very important to some. We read in Matthew 20:20-28 about the ambition of James and John. What was the motivation—to serve or be served? It was obviously to be served and therefore the fruits were those of selfishness as they wanted power, position and influence. In Acts 8:18-20, Simon Magus offered the disciples money in order to receive the Holy Spirit which he perceived to be power which would give him position and standing. And a third example is in Isaiah 14:12-14 where we read about Satan’s ambition being thwarted. It was all about himself, and he lusted about having the very highest position in the universe.

Do we have any of these failings? If so, then the example given by Jesus in Matthew 18:1-4 should be a clear reminder of the humility we need in order to make it into the Kingdom of God.

Of course, those who were fretting about where a presenter should sit were getting their priorities all wrong. It was an unhealthy concentration on minutiae, almost navel-gazing in personal self-interest. It was an ego trip and an example of coveting which God says we must simply not be involved with. Of course, such petty and self-serving examples reveal quite clearly that God is not involved in their lives, and that hardly comes as a surprise in today’s secular society.

We can smile at such nonsense but we had better be careful that we never fall into any such similar attitudes or it could spell disaster for us, because God does not accept behaviour of this sort from His people.

We had better remember to always do the right thing because right matters!