I was talking with my son the other day about how each of our lives are different. We don’t do the same things for work and for fun; we do not have the same friends and there are many other examples which could be stated. Occasionally, things overlap and that is where friendships and shared interests come into play. But everyone’s paths are unique.

For the most part, we are each on our own paths. As a Church, we work together towards the same goals, but as Proverbs 14:10 points out, we are responsible for ourselves: “The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not share its joy.”

Growing up, I remember hearing about the end coming and all the ins and outs. I remember feeling scared and nervous about the things that were to happen. And then we add the knowledge that we don’t know the exact time of Christ’s return. This has made it tough at times to live with the right perspective. But indeed, it takes the right perspective to live, not swaying to the right hand or to the left (compare Proverbs 4:27; Deuteronomy 5:32; Joshua 1:7; Isaiah 30:21). The choice is ours. That should be the scariest part for us as Christians. God has already decided before time began that He would call us in this day and age. Science has shown us that the odds of you and me being born is 1 in 400 trillion. Think about that for a moment, let it sink in. Is it odd that we were born, in the time and place that we have been? I think not! 2 Peter 1:10 asks us how we are doing in our calling, in our diligence, in our effort to make sure that we don’t fall, that we don’t stumble.

As I stated before, our paths are all unique. We go through the issues in life to learn. Oftentimes, we don’t learn from others’ mistakes, even though we could and should if we were wise enough (1 Corinthians 10:11; Proverbs 1:1-9). Rather, we have to trudge through the trials and learn the hard way (Proverbs 11:2; James 1:2-4; Romans 8:28; Proverbs 24:16). The key is to pick up the pieces, learn, repent and move forward. In Philippians 3:13 Paul had every reason to be regretful and discouraged about his past, but he didn’t dwell on those things. He worked diligently to move forward.

How are we dealing with the fact that we are starting to see how end-time prophecy is being fulfilled? Are we scared? Are we happy? Are we joyful? Are we blasé and indifferent?  What is our perspective as we watch the world unraveling?

Do we understand that prophecy in and of itself is very sensational, but yet we should not be seeking prophecy for prophecy’s sake alone? Prophecy should help us to discern the times that we are living in and help us to temper our mindsets and attitudes and to give us additional motivation and zeal to do the Work and the Will of God. Paul was keen to tell this to Timothy, a young minister, in 2 Timothy 3:10-17. Wisdom and salvation are mentioned in verse 15. They are vitally important in keeping us going each day. If we are doing these things, then they help us to decide what we should be doing.

We need to acquire and keep the right and proper perspective at all times.  1 Corinthians 10:12-13 warns us to take careful note, think deeply, study hard, and lean in more and more fervently on God. God doesn’t want us to fail. Our own failings take us away.  2 Timothy 2:15 asks us to be diligent in presenting ourselves to God as worthy of the calling given to us.

So what is our perspective in regard to our calling? What are we doing about it? Where do we stand? These types of questions can only be answered truthfully by each Church member. If we find that the answers are not good and promising, then it is high time that we make the necessary corrections while we still can.

We wouldn’t say we have too much love for God or our neighbor, nor say that we are way too zealous in serving God or that our faith is far too strong. In fact, we would all very likely admit to wanting much more of such good things as these.

Nevertheless, some good things might actually be too much if we aren’t careful!

There is a deeply profound lesson for all of us in the example of the young man who had great wealth and who asked Jesus what good thing he should do to have eternal life (compare Matthew 19:16-22). What Jesus told him required an abrupt reshaping of his life—and he was unwilling to go that far. Riches and the lack of commitment stood in his way to eternal life.

When the children of Israel were about to enter the land which God had promised, they were sternly cautioned to beware when abundant blessings came to them (compare Deuteronomy 8). Here is God’s warning:

“‘Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the LORD your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. As the nations which the LORD destroys before you, so you shall perish, because you would not be obedient to the voice of the LORD your God’” (Deuteronomy 8:19-20).

We must be very careful to not suffer the same kind of fate. We live in a time of remarkable and unparalleled abundance—so much so, we might get caught up in pursuing things that will not last. Things which are not eternal! Most of us don’t have great wealth, but we can become self-satisfied with our circumstances and lose our true focus. Jesus left this message for us—for those who understand the gospel of the Kingdom of God:

“‘Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful’” (Matthew 13:22).

My title is a phrase we have probably all heard. We get its meaning by experience. We know that too much dessert, for example, is just too much of a good thing (compare also Proverbs 25:16; 25:27). It takes understanding to balance the use of things. And so it is when it comes to our daily living as Christians in this world.

There is, however, something which lies ahead which will never be too much of a good thing, and that is eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

Magicians are impressive to watch. While their skill at performing seemingly impossible feats is fascinating, I find the psychological aspects mostly intriguing. The most important element of a well-performed trick involves causing the observer to form a false belief by manipulating his or her attention. Magicians perform tricks by drawing attention away from the hand that pulls an object out of a secret hiding place, and instead brings the observer’s focus to the other hand whose purpose is to distract. The simple action of paying attention to the wrong thing causes the unwitting observer to draw all kinds of false conclusions.

Magic tricks are designed to entertain, so the impact on those sitting in the audience is generally inconsequential. However, not all tricks that employ the use of deception are harmless. Satan is a master at distracting people from the Truth. He does this just as a magician does — by drawing attention to some other tantalizing fiction while the actual Truth is concealed. By misrepresenting facts, Satan has successfully drawn angels away from serving God. He has likewise deceived the world to believe that all of creation has somehow materialized from nothing. The contrived creation theories inspired by Satan to leave God out of the picture fit the profile of a magic trick. These creation theories provide so-called intelligent explanations that distract people from seeing how Satan hastily hides the actual Creator of all existence behind the curtain. Unlike entertaining magic tricks, Satan’s tricks have a severely dangerous effect. Those who fall for his lies are led away from obeying God.

Avoiding deception is very challenging though. Just as a magic trick can leave the observer wondering how it was possible to defy the laws of physics, a deceptive argument that is logically sound can derail good judgment — unless we are rooted in faith. Paul warned the disciples of his time about this: “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” (compare Colossians 2:8). If we allow ourselves to focus our attention away from the Truth that can be proven from the pages of the Bible, and instead give our trust to any other way of understanding, we allow ourselves to be cheated. When we turn our beliefs away from the simple Truth of God and entertain other contradictory teachings instead, we set in motion a process which may lead to our eternal death. Unless we reverse the process of embracing and following Satan’s lies, we become cheated out of our salvation.

Fortunately, we have a choice as to what to give our attention. We can choose to pay attention to the Truth of God, hanging on to it faithfully, or we can choose to believe the lie. It might sound like an easy thing to focus on the Truth, but it can be a great challenge. The world that we live in bombards us with ideas that tug at our faith, which may compel us to give up on the Truth that stands so opposed to the ways of the world. But we need to dig in our heels and trust in God’s Truth, not man’s. Our love for the Truth is what will keep us grounded, protect us from becoming cheated, and keep us far from condemnation (compare 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).

Our sight must remain fixed on God so that we don’t become deceived by distracting arguments and ideas that pull us away from the Truth. Even though the world says otherwise, we have to remember that seeking pleasure in unrighteousness has an ultimate end that is deadly. We are instructed in this regard by the wisdom of Solomon: “My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh” (Proverbs 4:20-22). If we don’t want to allow ourselves to be fooled by the tricks of Satan, we need to focus on the Truth and never allow our gaze to turn away from it.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” These are the famous memorable words that Thomas Jefferson laid down back in 1776 as the core values of the United States of America in what is known as the Declaration of Independence. They still stand at the head of the US Code to this day.

However, the present day does not seem to harmonize with this statement, as we see corruption all around us. This comes as no surprise, as this has been going on for many, many years, but we see how things are getting worse—not just here, but the whole world is affected.

This Declaration is supposed to be the foundation of the United States. It is remarkable that God has created all of us equally, meaning that we all have the ability and the same choice to follow Him and His Way of Life. God has called out specific people at this time, like you and me within the Church of God, with the special responsibility of proclaiming the Truth, but the time will come when every single person will ultimately have the chance to know and understand what we are experiencing now.

When it comes to what we believe in, no one should be able to take that away from us, as long as we are determined, making sure that our choices are the correct ones. This country still enjoys freedom of religion, but the way things are going, that may very well not be the case anymore for long, as the Book of Revelation shows. We also read in 2 Peter 2:18-22 how false teachers will deceive many people, and this is something that we in the Church need to be cautious about as well.

As quoted above, three specific words are mentioned in the Declaration of Independence, and God talks about the same specific words that we should abide by and experience, namely Life, Liberty and Happiness. God tells us in 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 that the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

God explains to us what it is that we need to be doing to draw closer to God in order to gain our freedom. It is quite simple but difficult to do by human standards. Notice what Christ said in John 8:32-36: “‘And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ They answered Him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, “You will be made free”?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.’”

Laws change in this world. Since the Declaration was written, so many things have happened in the meantime. Times are not getting any better, as more and more laws are created or changed that affect society, which is certainly not in accordance with God’s spiritual laws or the Way that He operates. God’s spiritual Law has been the same then, now and will continue so in the future. “But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:25). Do we want to be part of this perfect Law?

Christ has to make us free through the repentance that God the Father offers us. When we sin, we are not free but slaves to sin. However, one may think that we are also slaves when we submit to God and His Way. But there is a big difference. Being a “slave of sin” does not bring forth good fruit, and it will lead to death. Being “slaves to righteousness” brings everlasting life. Which one do we choose? If we want to have our freedom, we must obey God (compare Romans 6:16-19). And only when Jesus Christ returns to establish His Kingdom here on earth will we finally experience TRUE freedom and liberty.

We can say that we have signed our very own Declaration of Independence, but not of this world. We have devoted our lives to God; we look to divine protection and our lives are in God’s hands, for our citizenship is not of this world (Philippians 3:17-21).

God asks us to choose life and reject death (Deuteronomy 30:15-16, 19-20). The life that God is offering us is everlasting life (Matthew 19:17). It requires that we keep His commandments.

This, in turn, leads to true happiness. Proverbs 29:18 says, “…happy is he who keeps the law.” In John 13:17, Christ confirms that we are happy when we do the right things (Authorized Version). And Psalm 144:15 says that “happy are the people whose God is the LORD!”

When Thomas Jefferson wrote about Life, Liberty and Happiness, he had our physical condition in mind. God is using the same words but He is not just referring to our physical life, but also, and more importantly, to our eternal existence.

In last week’s Editorial, Mr. Brian Gale asked whether we are sighing and crying over all the abominations that are done in our countries. He specifically addressed the results of a referendum to repeal Ireland’s abortion ban, legalizing and legitimizing the murder of innocent children. Another abominable development which we should all sigh and cry about is US Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ current policy of “zero tolerance” regarding illegal immigrants, leading to the forceful separation of young children from their parents and the internment of the children in detention or concentration camps.

Do we understand HOW mean-spirited and ungodly this policy is? Or have we become so hard-hearted and indifferent to the misery of the weak that we cannot even grasp the enormity of such terrible conduct?

President Trump and his administration have come under unusually strong vocal attacks by Democrats and Republicans alike, and even his own wife, Melania, as well as former first lady Laura Bush did condemn the practice. Mrs. Bush called the practice “immoral” and “cruel.” She wrote: “These images are eerily reminiscent of the Japanese American internment camps of World War II, now considered to have been one of the most shameful episodes in U.S. history.” First lady Melania Trump said through a spokesperson that she hates to see children separated from their families, and that a country needs to be “governed with heart,” obviously implying that presently, the USA is not.

American Catholic and evangelical leaders, including Cardinal DiNardo and Franklin Graham, condemned the practice; and even Mr. Sessions’ own church, the United Methodist Church, rejected it as well in no uncertain terms. So did Orthodox Jews and the other major Jewish religious movements.

Bowing to political pressure, President Trump issued an executive order on June 20, claiming that it will keep migrant families together. But this order did not abandon or reverse the “zero tolerance” policy. And while the order, if it survives legal challenges, might prevent temporarily the separation of parents and children, it would in effect “lock up immigrant parents and their children together, indefinitely.”

Europeans are watching these unfolding events with horror, but many are guilty of similar atrocities, be it in their mind, in word or even in action. In a compelling article, Handelsblatt Global asked the question whether Europe had lost its soul in the refugee crisis. Pointing at the hypocrisy of French president Emmanuel Macron; the criminal prosecution in France and Belgium of law-abiding citizens who assist illegal immigrants in any way; and questionable methods in Denmark, the author states: “It won’t be long until someone suggests barring them from certain professions altogether,” alluding to Germany’s Nazi regime prohibiting Jews to carry out many designated jobs and occupations.

Today, law-abiding citizens in the USA, including ministers, are also being threatened with legal actions if they were found to help illegal aliens (“harboring a criminal” is the offensive phrase which is being used).

Focusing on the informal alliance of right-wing politicians in Germany, Austria and Italy, the author of the Handelsblatt Global article states, “A right-wing axis from Berlin to Rome–that sure has a ring to it.” Again, the suggested parallel to Nazi Germany, Nazi Austria and Nazi Italy in World War II is unmistakable.

When Jews tried to escape Nazi Germany, America and many other countries refused to take them in, and as a consequence, they were among the millions of Jews who were murdered in concentration camps. Today, many persecuted refugees flee the atrocities in their homelands and seek shelter in Europe and the USA, but again, they may not be allowed to come in and find protection in countries which claim to be willing to help others in need.

Mr. Sessions, with the support of the White House, claimed that the Bible justifies his actions. He said with a smirking smiley face: “I would cite you to the Apostle Paul and his clear and wise command in Romans 13 to obey the laws of the government because God has ordained them for the purpose of order.”

The Truth is that God NEVER ordained any government or political leader for the purpose of violating the letter or the spirit of HIS Holy Word. In fact, the Apostle Peter tells us, as he told the Sanhedrin, that true Christians have to obey God RATHER than man, and we are NOT to obey men if they demand something of us which is against the Law of God. As many Christian leaders have pointed out, including those who normally support the Trump agenda, the policy of “zero tolerance” and the criminalization of illegal immigrants with the consequence of taking young children away from their parents is a “radical departure from the Christian religion” and “goes against pretty much the entire Bible.” They also stated that we are “sometimes morally obligated not to follow” the laws of the land.

I liked very much the following comment by one writer: “If you had all the power in the world, maybe you would also hear a serpent dipping its smooth body down from some shadowy bough to say: God wants you to do whatever you like with your power, and whatever you do with it is good.”

After all, this is Satan’s world, and he calls good evil and evil good. He pretends to be an angel of light, but he is, and always will be, the prince and power of darkness. What should make our blood boil is when misguided politicians dare to blaspheme God by misquoting His Holy Word in an effort to justify their ungodly behavior.

But thanks be to God that this terrible mismanagement of human rule and the total abandonment of true godly values will end soon, because it can’t be long now until Christ returns to destroy the abominations and atrocities of this evil world. We are called out of this world to qualify for the Kingdom of God–to rule mankind with righteousness, mercy and love. Are YOU qualifying now? Are you developing the mind of Christ and the way of His thinking in your life, or are you still finding any justification and redeeming value in satanically inspired policies which are totally against anything that God stands for? Because if and as long as you do, God would not want you to be in His Kingdom.

There is a wonderful piece of Scripture that very clearly defines what a true Christian’s attitude should be, and we find this in Ezekiel 9:4: “… the LORD said to him, ‘Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.’”

“Sigh,” as defined in Strong’s #584, means “to groan,” “to mourn,” and “to moan.” “Cry,” as defined in Strong’s #602, also means “to groan,” and to “to shriek.” It means that this is not just a cursory look at the world’s evils, mumbling something about how bad things are, but then carrying on with life as if nothing had happened. We can certainly become accustomed to the manifold sins of the world and inured and uncompassionate because we see so much of what is going on through the ubiquitous news media where the unacceptable becomes acceptable through constant application and usage. We can, in short, have a much lower threshold of what is right and wrong, if we’re not careful, through the brainwashing and availability of news, 24 hours a day.

The Scripture quoted above refers to abominations in the city of Jerusalem. However, this can be extended to cover any and all societies and places where abominations are prevalent but are seen as being the norm. We read in Isaiah 5:20: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” In this sin-sick world, Satan has cleverly manipulated the thinking of man to accept that which is unacceptable to God and make it totally acceptable. How very clever he is, as the people of God know only too well.

Of course, we have to know what is abominable to God, and 1 John 3:4 states that “sin is the transgression of the law” (Authorized Version) and “…by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20).

One commentator stated that “Some people can see sin right before their eyes, they can hear it around them, they can live amidst it, but they can never sigh and cry over it because they refuse to allow God’s law to be the standard of their behaviour.” But it must be our standard.

That brings me to one of the latest events where we should all, in the Church of God, “sigh and cry over all the abominations” that we see in front of us.

On Saturday, 26th May 2018, the final results of the referendum to repeal Ireland’s abortion ban was approved by a big majority. In 2015, in another vote, this same country approved same-sex marriage by a landslide. It is remarkable as this is a Catholic country which has defied the teaching of their church. There was unbridled joy by so many young people in that country that was seen in print and on television. It was as if they had just won a world war or some other mighty achievement and, it would appear, that the enormity of what they had done was missed by those who voted for abortion on demand. I suspect that many who were celebrating would also have been among the number of those protesting at the killing of innocent women and children in war. They simply don’t see that abortion is murder and is just as bad as killing others in warfare. It is a double standard that they are oblivious to. ALL killing is wrong as the 6th Commandment of God reveals to all who have an ear to hear.

We cannot sigh and cry if we are unaware of what is happening in the world today. We need to keep ourselves continually updated in what is happening and be amongst those who have compassion on the plight of others and grieve over the problems we can see in every corner of the world. In Ireland, it was the attitude that was so concerning! There didn’t seem to be one iota of concern for the good and wellbeing of the unborn, just the celebration of women being able to make a choice in terminating a life and seen as their “right” and “entitlement”.

Of course, there are many more abominations for us to sigh and cry over as the world descends into chaos. As the great tribulation nears, additional appalling abominations will surface or increase. What we are seeing today, and what we saw in Ireland, is just another manifestation of the power and influence of Satan who convinces the world that sin is acceptable.

The good news is that his time is short and the coming of God’s Kingdom is near.

There is a lot of talk about making the world a better place, but the reality is that under Satan’s tutelage and administration, this world is not going to get better. Rather, it is heading for complete and utter annihilation.

Matthew 24:22 tells us: “And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.”

THIS LOOKS LIKE A PRETTY GRIM OUTCOME FOR MANKIND. Is there any hope FOR US?

We know that the only viable and enduring solution lies in the return of Jesus Christ to end the madness of man’s rule and to put Satan away for a long duration of time, to give some relief from his negative influence on this world.

When this has occurred, we read about the conditions in the Millennium in the book of Isaiah: “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD’s house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isaiah 2:2-4).

These are encouraging Scriptures and should inspire us to maintain our zeal to complete the Work we have been given to accomplish, prior to Christ’s return. The end of war is just one aspect of the changes we will help to bring about in the future. We can also see that the worship of God will be established, including keeping the Sabbath and the Holy Days. Wanting to be taught God’s ways in the above Scripture in the book of Isaiah includes worshipping Him in the prescribed manner, as outlined in Leviticus 23.

It is really important for us to remain faithful to our calling and see the present job through, since we will have such a positive powerful impact on the world in the future. As sons and daughters of God, we will be able to really make enduring positive changes to this world.

Our training now will eventually qualify us to be involved in this worldwide effort to implement the changes to truly make the world a better place. Paul expressed the current situation and looked to a future solution in Romans 8:20-23:

“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;  because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.   For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.  Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption [better: sonship], the redemption of our body.”

Notice, the creation will be delivered from the bondage of Satan. And it groans and labors with birth pangs, awaiting the arrival of the firstfruits of those in the first resurrection to change this current evil world. Let’s ensure we are up to the task in remaining faithful to the end. The world desperately needs us.

It seems that each week in the United States brings another school shooting, another round of senseless murders. But it is not just here—there are wars, murders and homicides around the world. Death is inevitable. When we peel back the layers of our society, it is not hard to see the cracks in the foundations. Our planet is being slowly destroyed. Our oceans and waters are becoming polluted. Our air is becoming toxic. The land and the food that it produces are poisoned and abused with chemicals.

When we stop and consider what is going on, when we take off our blinders and really look at the world’s condition, it is quite a worrying scene that unfolds. And all to what end?

There is something that we must realize when we look at this world. John 17:15-16 states that while we are “in” the world, we must NOT be “of” the world. This is such a fine line that we walk. So how are we doing on that path?

Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 that we are to be ambassadors for Christ. We are representatives of a different country, a different culture, a different way of living and, most importantly, a different mindset. Romans 8:14 tells us that as God’s children, we are to be led by the Spirit of God. In theory, this sounds good and probably gives us good intentions and some notions of motivation. But if we are truly honest with ourselves, our circumstances and our motivations, what is it that we truly convey? What is it that we truly are seeking after?

Having motivation and good ideas and intentions doesn’t produce results. We cannot confuse emotions and good motives with results. We can easily fool ourselves into thinking that we are good Christians.  Hence, the mighty warning in the book of Revelation about those who are called Laodiceans. It is NOT enough to go half-heartedly through this Christian life. If we do, we will get tangled up (2 Peter 2:20). What actions, what goals, what prayers are reflecting our way of life? Are we discouraged with where we find ourselves? Do we look back and realize that while we may have thought we were giving it our all, we were in reality just doing enough to squeak by?

We read the encouraging Scriptures which tell us that WE CAN overcome and make it into God’s Kingdom, into which He Himself has called us. But the amount of effort and zeal we put into this is left up to us (Matthew 13:8-9). We should never think that God hasn’t called each of us for a reason. That main reason being, He knows we can accomplish it, because He has ordained us to be successful. Again, it is based on how much effort we put in. Like anything in life, effort we put in affects what we will get out of it. If one’s attitude is negative, angry, self-serving, jealous, hateful, unkind and unmerciful, then that is what will be reaped (compare Romans 6:20-21).

When we really believe what the Bible has to say—meaning, when we stop fooling ourselves and really dig in and set our minds towards obedience, then that is when progress comes, both in our spiritual and physical life.  2 Chronicles 7:14 states that when Christians seek God, turn from their evil ways and are obedient, then God forgives and heals, and then He is willing to hear our prayers. And what power comes from those prayers! In Mark 11:24 we find a mind-boggling example of how we should be praying. Jeremiah 33:3 reiterates God’s own words for us, as it is rendered in the New International Version: “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Such an amazing opportunity and calling that is ours, individually and collectively!

Finally, we would encourage every reader to study Romans, chapter 12; to put his or her name in there; and to see where our lives stack up in comparison to what Paul is saying. Let’s make it personal. Because in the end, it is each of us who is personally responsible to God. We can continue being miserable because of sin or we can do the hard work NOW and reap happiness and a much better outcome in the future.

It is a kind of ritual for people to watch the news each day. That, however, has become an almost unbearable challenge! World news, national news and even local news stories are so filled with atrocities that we often just tune out—it is simply too depressing!

The Bible speaks of these perplexing times—as a warning! Note this prophecy in Isaiah:

“‘…When the overflowing scourge passes through, Then you will be trampled down by it. As often as it goes out it will take you; For morning by morning it will pass over, And by day and by night; It will be a terror just to understand the report’” (Isaiah 28:18-19).

In another prophecy, also directed at the modern descendants of the Houses of Israel and Judah, God reveals the conditions that would and now have come upon us:

“‘“Destruction comes; They will seek peace, but there shall be none. Disaster will come upon disaster, And rumor will be upon rumor. Then they will seek a vision from a prophet; But the law will perish from the priest, And counsel from the elders”’” (Ezekiel 7:25-26).

We must not turn a blind eye to what is happening! In fact, it falls to the Church of God to address the bad news in the light of Bible prophecy. Jesus explicitly told us to “watch” and to be “ready” (compare Matthew 24:42, 44; 25:10, 13; Luke 21:36). In doing this—beyond our own personal preparedness—we are to also report news to the world that isn’t utterly dreadful and so filled with hopelessness!

The news we are to convey is ultimately GOOD NEWS—it is the gospel of the Kingdom of God! This is what Jesus proclaimed. It is the only true hope set before mankind, and it will happen! To be able to know the Truth of how God the Father will establish peace through sending His Son to this world removes the focus for all the bad news we now face.

As bad as things are now in the news, worse times lie immediately ahead—something we already know, because God has revealed this to us. And we, like Jesus did, must continue to look beyond, to that joy which is set before us—in the Kingdom of God (compare Hebrews 12:2).

I love the springtime. The air is cool, but the sun offers warmth that invigorates. The scent of flowering trees fills the air for about one week, and then gives way to the growth of other beautiful flowers planted on the ground. It’s a splendid time of year, offering unique moments to appreciate when one slows down long enough to observe and enjoy God’s created beauty.

There is something about the springtime that I don’t love so much, however. Weeds. Those unsightly plants love the springtime even more than I do, and they prove it by competing mightily against the pretty ones. In fact, the dandelions barely wait until the snow has melted before tagging the yard with yellow dots in random patterns. Such rude behavior makes it nearly impossible to get ahead of them in order to prevent their growth.

Through the years of being a homeowner, I’ve learned that there is only one thing that is effective in fighting the annual battle against weeds. As much as I’ve tried hoping and wishing that the weeds in the yard would go away or just die, I have proven to myself time and again that these methods simply have no effect. It turns out that hard work is the only thing that can tame the wild growth of weeds. Whether the work is spent pulling, researching chemicals and carefully applying a lethal dose, or even paying someone else to take care of the problem, hard work is necessary to keep a yard under control. There’s simply no way around it.

It should be no surprise that most things that are truly valuable take work in order to achieve. The example of a well-groomed yard is trivial in comparison with that which really matters, however. The Bible is clear that the promise of everlasting life for a Christian takes diligent work in learning to become obedient and overcome sin. We are reminded by Jesus Christ that the easy paths and the wide gates are the ones that lead to destruction, but the narrow gate that is difficult to find is the one that leads to everlasting life (compare Matthew 7:13-14). Even though eternal life is a gift that is freely given to us through the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our efforts still need to be applied in proving to God that we are willing to learn obedience and righteous behavior. It takes work to overcome sin. It takes work to build up our relationship with God. If we choose to neglect our calling, we risk our own lives in potentially falling away.

If we have been called out of the world by God, “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began” (2 Timothy 1:9), we have a very special gift to care for. If we want to please God and prove to Him how valuable our calling is to us, there is one way to succeed. Only through hard work will we be able to turn away from sin and learn righteousness. The Bible also reminds us that there is a benefit to our efforts as well – “He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (compare Hebrews 11:6). We are fortunate to have the gift of eternal life to be made available to us, but even beyond that, our tireless work in living by the Truth will be rewarded with great responsibility and roles of leadership in the Kingdom of God (compare Luke 19:15-19).