Our culture is filled with stories and ideals of heroes.  We bestow the title of “hero” for deeds that seem to rise above normal human courage.  Soldiers charging into enemy fire to save comrades or teachers shielding innocents from murderous rampages—both speak to a selfless frame of mind.  A heroic act to save another is something that can never be repaid, and it is why we revere calling someone a hero.  Sadly, even the most honorable of intentions and deeds does little to stop the growing darkness of a world that is sick and dying.

While we give a fleeting nod to selflessness, our society reveres those who vainly set themselves upon pillars to be honored and even worshipped.  The entertainment industry is a self-aggrandizing enterprise, a distraction to show how Satan is transforming this world.  Our end-time age is warned against this practice: “But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts” (Revelation 9:20-21).

It is easy to point out obvious idolatry that we should avoid.  What is difficult as a Christian is to not become blinded by subtle idolatry that is at times embraced by the world.  In a recent CNN article about Pope Francis the author states, “The popular pontiff has also made a positive impression among Americans in general: Nearly three in four view Francis favorably.  The new survey suggests that the Pope is arguably the most well-regarded religious figure among the American public today, said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. According to one study, Pope Francis was the most talked about person on the Internet this year, and even atheists have professed appreciation for the 77-year-old pontiff.” This kind of hero worship, whether it is of debase or lofty ideals, is still false worship. Judgment is coming to those that practice it.

Satan has masterfully hidden away from this world the truth of Jesus Christ: “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:8-9).  Christ gave His life for all who have or ever will exist.  He alone is the epitome of Heroism because His self-sacrifice wasn’t in vain.  Many have died to give others longer physical life. Only One has died to give us eternal life. Paul acknowledged this belief was not in vain, he had “…hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began” (Titus 1:2).  Our hope is not in vain! The One True Hero is alive and He awaits for us to join Him in eternal life.

Having just gone through the Passover and Days of Unleavened  Bread,  what lies ahead for us? The next holy day is Pentecost, which is some fifty days away and pictures the church receiving the Holy Spirit for the first time. We understand that some few received it in Old Testament times in order to fulfill God’s purpose, but it was generally not available until given to the Church on Pentecost in 31 AD.

Unleavened bread helped us to focus on the necessity of getting leaven, that is sin, out of our lives. Failing to do so can and would be detrimental to our future positions in the kingdom of God and even being in God’s Family. Sin, like leaven, if not dealt with will grow and eventually completely overcome a person. If not removed with the help of God’s Spirit in us, this can lead to the unpardonable sin and our destruction. Satan as the god of this world is very subtle and usually doesn’t attempt a major overhaul in our thinking but rather puts seeds of doubt, resentment or jealously in our hearts. If we are not careful to put them out in the early stages of their growth, it could be our undoing.

The society we live in is held captive by Satan:

“…whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Satan is seeking prey—and that includes us:

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

We can overcome Satan:

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

Notice, we must submit to God, which implies effort on our part in order for the devil to leave us alone. We must put our trust in God to help us.

Remember, also, that we must be diligent in our effort to get the good news of the Kingdom of God out to this world!  The return of Jesus Christ is the only true hope for mankind. At the same time, we must continue to be vigilant in keeping sin out of our lives and in drawing close to God so that He can and will draw near to us:

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8).

We can be assured that if we follow this admonition we will be successful in fulfilling our calling, and we will thus be guaranteed a position in the glorious kingdom of God. That is our hope; that is our destiny—-let’s ensure that we do not let down, but rather go on to glory in the future God has promised!

After participating in the Passover and while we are in the midst of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, many of us have similar thoughts running through our minds. Foremost, the sin that we acknowledged during our personal examination of ourselves in preparation for Passover has become starkly clear. We are all sinners (1 John 1:8-10), and the wages of the sin we commit is death (Romans 6:23). Because of this, God required that His Son be sacrificed so that we might have the opportunity to live forever as part of His Family. These facts describe the bottom line of Christianity – the ultimate plan of God. If we want to participate in that plan, we have some responsibilities.

The fundamental starting point occurs during the Passover, with the acknowledgement of our sin, when we take personal responsibility for causing the death of Jesus Christ. The Days of Unleavened Bread follow, giving us the instruction to continue from that acknowledgement of sin, and work to remove it from our lives. It is a common and intended phenomenon for us to become acutely aware of our inadequacies and weaknesses during this time, so we specifically know the areas where we need to improve. This is heavy stuff to take in, and this is the season of the year when these truths generally penetrate the deepest. It is enough to trigger a great deal of guilt, knowing that individually we have directly caused the death of our Savior – and that we have so, so much to work on.
 
Becoming paralyzed by guilt is not something that we should allow, however. While we live lives that include sinful actions, which might cause us to feel unworthy of Christ’s Sacrifice, our remorse must transform into repentance. Our willingness to change our behavior to be in accordance with God’s laws proves to Him that even though we sin, we are working to improve. Bearing fruits of repentance is what God looks for in our lives. That shows God that we are not behaving unworthily of the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Repentance takes work because it is so contrary to the way of this world in which we live. However, it is something that God believes we are capable of performing, with His help, and He is glad to offer us the opportunity. It is, after all, His good pleasure to offer us the Kingdom of God (Luke 12:32). For this awesome opportunity to repent, we should be thankful.

Even though the wages of sin is death, the gift of God is eternal life! What we have to remember is that God wants us to take advantage of the opportunity He provides to us. Jesus Christ was not sacrificed so that we might continue to feel guilty and unworthy, but rather, so that we might claim it, change our lives, and be grateful. The guilt of our sin, transformed by repentance into good behavior, should make us grateful. Do you offer God your sincere thanks for this gift? Now is certainly the time to do so.
 
But even after partaking of the Passover, we find that we sin again. The Feast of Unleavened Bread reminds us that we have to continue, with God’s help, to conquer the sin that stares us directly in the face. We must remember how God wants us to respond. We must not become paralyzed by the faults we recognize, leading us to inaction. Instead, we must be thankful for the opportunity to be saved and actively express that gratitude by bearing fruit of repentance.

It would appear that no one lives or tells the truth–not our leaders in politics, not in business or not even in religion! Finding someone who is willing to put it all on the line for the sake of the truth is the rarest of exceptions! How many retractions, explanations or other justifications do we hear about in our daily lives when liars are found out and exposed?

God long ago issued an indictment against the world for its rejection of His Truth. In particular, His disapproval for the modern Houses of Israel and Judah—who should know better—fill prophecies relevant for our time:

“For our transgressions are multiplied before You, And our sins testify against us; For our transgressions are with us, And as for our iniquities, we know them: In transgressing and lying against the Lord, And departing from our God, Speaking oppression and revolt, Conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands afar off; For truth is fallen in the street, And equity cannot enter. So truth fails, And he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. Then the Lord saw it, and it displeased Him That there was no justice” (Isaiah 59:12-15).

Have you departed from evil—really? Are you persecuted—as Jesus was—for righteousness sake? Are you tormented “from day to day by seeing and hearing… lawless deeds” (2 Peter 2:8)?

More importantly, have any of us let truth fall in our own lives? We are implicitly warned that even some within the Church of God would reject truth! Note what Paul wrote:

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

This has happened, and so it continues, that the Truth of God has fallen in the lives of some who have been called to salvation! Will you continue in the Truth? Will you be among the very few—the elect—who will be willing to uphold God’s Way of living at all cost?

As we watch the virtual collapse of morality and the rise of unspeakable evil in the world, our hope must focus on the unbreakable promise of God–that He will send His Son, Jesus Christ, to establish a Kingdom of righteousness in which truth shall never fall or fail!

When you read this Editorial, we will have completed our Church Conference, and my wife and I will have been busy preparing for our trip to Germany. Before leaving our home, we will have finished deleavening our premises, as the Jews had to do at the time of Christ, before beginning their pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

Even though we might think more of the concept of our pilgrimage in respect to the Feast of Tabernacles in the Autumn, when we will live for eight days in temporary dwellings, our entire Christian life ought to be viewed as a pilgrimage, and it is therefore appropriate to apply this comparison to the upcoming Passover season as well. As Israel was saved from physical death during the Passover night and led out of Egyptian slavery on the First Day of Unleavened Bread, with the goal of ultimately entering the Promised Land, true Christians have been and are being saved from spiritual or eternal death through the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and they are leaving behind the captivity of sin with the goal of ultimately entering the Kingdom of God.

At times, the Bible compares sin with leaven, and if leaven is not removed, it grows and permeates the whole lump. In the same way, sin grows and spreads in our lives. The Days of Unleavened Bread picture our complete departure from sin, but this is impossible without God’s help. It is God who must fight our battles. According to tradition, Israel stood in front of the Red Sea on the Last Day of Unleavened Bread. They were completely helpless and in despair, when they saw Pharaoh’s army pursuing them. But God intervened miraculously and saved them from physical death or renewed physical captivity. Today, God is giving us—spiritual Israelites— spiritual victory over sin, if we submit to Him and let Him fight our spiritual battles for us.

A few weeks later, God gave Israel the Law of the Ten Commandments and other statutes and judgments. Following Jewish tradition, this happened on the Day of Pentecost. But ancient Israel was never offered the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is true that the people were supposed to keep the Ten Commandments according to the letter, but they were not able to keep them in spirit. Even though they could and should have refrained from killing someone else, they were not really able to eradicate all hatred from their lives. In New Testament times, God gave His Holy Spirit to His Church on the Day of Pentecost, enabling them to obey Him in the letter AND in spirit—to actually worship Him in spirit, as God is Spirit. God’s converted disciples are to apply and follow the spiritual dimensions of His Law, since the Law is spiritual.

When we, as baptized members of the Church of God, keep the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, while focusing already on the Day of Pentecost, we ought to remember that everything we accomplish in this life is not because of our might and strength, but because of God’s grace and favor. Because of Christ’s great love for us, He died for us, when we were still sinners and God’s enemies. We did not deserve to be forgiven—God forgave us because of unmerited pardon. It is God who shows us the way out of sin and who enables us to follow His path. And it is God who gives us His Holy Spirit to empower us to obey Him in spirit and truth. In doing this, we can gladly focus on the Holy Days in the Autumn, beginning with the next dramatic event in the plan of God. This earth-shaking occurrence is pictured by the Feast of Trumpets and describes the return of Jesus Christ to establish God’s rule here on earth and to give us His gift of eternal life, by changing us from mortal human beings to immortal members of God’s Family.

How thankful must we be to God for His priceless and undeserved gifts.

Wikipedia defines endangered species as a population of organisms which is facing a high risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters.

There are those species that are already extinct, those that are extinct in the wild, those which are critically endangered, then the endangered, and then the vulnerable.

EndangeredSpecie.com is a website dedicated to “providing all the best endangered species information, links, books, and publications regarding rare and endangered species.  This site also includes information about conservation efforts and endangered species organizations that are dedicated to saving and preserving the world’s most endangered wildlife and plant life.”

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service there are 746 species of plants and 516 species of animals on the endangered species list in North America alone.

Money raising schemes abound to try and help so many worthy causes.

Without belittling the hard work and efforts of these fine organisations, there is an endangered species which is of far greater importance than any they may represent.   And that is the true Christian, those whom God has called at this time to live His Way of Life and who will become part of His Family at the time of Christ’s return.

We are preparing to keep the Passover in just over two weeks’ time, and most people will have very little knowledge, if any, of what this means.   The secular society will still be keeping Easter as a holiday, and the Days of Unleavened Bread will mean absolutely nothing to them.   Even churchgoers would probably find it incomprehensible, as we follow the clear instructions in the Word of God.

We see almost daily the constant barrage of anti-biblical rulings, antagonism and antipathy towards true Christianity that would not have even been considered that long ago.   But as we approach the time when Christ must return to save mankind from blowing itself off the face of the planet, the correct reading of Scripture shows that this is inevitable.  

We should not be surprised as we have not been promised an easy life.   God has to find out about us and we are tested and tried in many different ways and, being an endangered species at the end time, is part of that process.

Are we experiencing the symptoms associated with PPT?  Those of us who have been called out of this world, who live by the law of God and observe His commanded Sabbaths and Holy Days, can thereby expect trials of every caliber to impact us in some way as we approach a vitally important occasion in a few weeks from now, signifying “an outward symbol of acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice… by observing the death and sacrifice of Christ as a memorial once a year, during the evening Passover ceremony (Luke 22:14–20; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26)” (Compare our free booklet, “God’s Commanded Holy Days”).

These symptoms we have been experiencing every year and now once again, are our Pre-Passover Trials (PPT).  This is certainly not a bad thing, but should be considered encouraging, as God is the One who brings this about, by allowing us to go through various tests, not for the purpose of imperfection, but to bring us closer to perfection. 

As this has been the topic of discussion recently and will most likely continue to be so in the upcoming weeks, we are expected to examine ourselves as stated in 1 Corinthians 11:27-31, making sure that we don’t take the Passover in an unworthy manner.  This is not to be considered in a negative way, but we are to look at ourselves, expecting a positive result.  Our self-examination should determine that we are on the right track; that Christ DOES in fact live in us.  “And if, during the examination, a Christian finds that he is lacking in some aspects, he needs to REPENT of that; he needs to ask God for forgiveness; he needs to resolve and make an effort to do better; and, at the same time, he needs to understand that with God’s help, he can, and must, and will do better“ (See our free booklet, “The Meaning of God’s Spring Holy Days”).

We are not being tested for the purpose of failing, but with the expectation of success.  1 Peter 1:6-7 says, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 

The countdown to Passover is indeed upon us, and the effects of PPT are increasing more and more.   We are being tested on the very things that we struggle with the most, and God is looking at US to see how we will react; how we will “handle” the situation.  We will fail from time to time, especially during initial stages of a trial. In recognizing our own actions when going through a trial, we are thereby examining ourselves and accepting the fact that we MUST do better, if we want to be counted worthy. 

The suffering we are going through is a beneficial part of God’s plan.  “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10, English Standard Version).  We should not feel defeated the moment a trial sets in, for God says that we will not be tempted or tested beyond our ability, since He is always present in our time of need and confident that we will overcome (1 Corinthians 10:13).  If we believe this, then we will be able to conquer the effects of PPT.

When this Editorial is published on Thursday evening, March 13, it will be one month until Passover evening on Sunday, April 13. During this remaining time, true Christians ought to make an extra and diligent effort to examine themselves to determine whether and how Jesus is living in them (2 Corinthians 13:5), so that they do not partake of the Passover symbols in an unworthy manner (1 Corinthians 11:27-29).

This self-examination should show us how we lived throughout the year—and if we are honest enough, we WILL find fault with ourselves. This realization must prompt us to repent, change, and make amends PRIOR to Passover eve.

If we suffer from self-delusion, thinking that we are doing pretty well and have already reached perfection, we are making one of the most grievous mistakes. We must realize that we are still sinning today, from time to time, and that we need God’s forgiveness of our sins on a continuous basis (1 John 1:8-10).

Paul warns us not to look at sin casually. We need to partake of the Passover in a worthy manner, because we understand the meaning of what Christ did for us and what we did to Him; that we murdered Christ through our sins—our transgressions of God’s spiritual Law; and that He died willingly for us when we were still His enemies, to free us from the penalty of sin—eternal death in the lake of fire.

At the same time, our self-examination should reveal that overall, we have been conducting ourselves throughout the year in a worthy manner, and if we have not, it is high time for a change in our lives. There are many passages in the Bible which address the need to be counted worthy in God’s eyes and to live worthy of our calling. Just note the following few examples:

Ephesians 4:1-3 tells us that we are “to walk worthy of the calling,” by showing lowliness, gentleness and longsuffering; bearing with one another in love; and pursuing peace and unity amongst ourselves. Holding grudges and the unwillingness to forgive others would show that one is NOT walking worthy of our calling.

Philippians 1:27-28 tells us that we are to conduct ourselves “worthy of the gospel,” by standing fast in one spirit and in one mind; by striving together for the faith of the gospel; and by not becoming terrified by our adversaries, KNOWING that GOD will take care of our situation.

Colossians 1:9-12 tells us to “walk worthy of the Lord,” by fully pleasing Him; showing godly patience and rejoicing in trials, thanking the Father and increasing in the knowledge and spiritual understanding of God and His Will, and by being fruitful in every good work.

Revelation 3:4-5 tells us that some in the church in Sardis were “worthy” to walk with Christ and be clothed with white linen, symbolizing God’s righteousness. They were given the assurance that their names would not be blotted out from the Book of Life, because they OVERCAME or conquered Satan, this evil society and self—their carnal human nature.
 
Romans 16:1-2 tells us that we live “worthy of the saints,” if we assist and HELP them in times of need.
 
Matthew 10:37-39 tells us that we are “not worthy” of Christ when we compromise with God’s Word because we don’t love Him enough. If we love ourselves, our relatives and our friends more than Him, we will not be given eternal life in God’s Kingdom.

The Bible includes many more passages which address the requirement of becoming worthy in God’s eyes and of conducting ourselves in a worthy manner, but the examples given in this Editorial should suffice. They should convince us that we must examine ourselves continuously as to whether we are living worthy of our calling—knowing that we are to be “holy in all [our] conduct” (1 Peter 1:15). If we are still behaving like the world behaves, and living and thinking like it does, then we show God that we don’t really care that much about Him and His righteousness (1 Peter 4:1-3).

Paul tells us to examine ourselves, as to how we are doing, and to TAKE the Passover. But before partaking of the Passover symbols, we must repent of wrong conduct and wrong thinking, and we must understand and appreciate what the Sacrifice of Christ really means for us. Christ died for us to free us from sin. He did not die for us to give us license to sin. We must be willing to live our lives worthy of God and our holy calling, and obey God in everything.

As we watch the world draw closer to a prophesied end, what seemed unlikely decades ago is now becoming reality. Nations are invaded, new currencies are created and political alliances are formed, while the world watches in bewilderment. Leaders, with misguided confidence, rally support to serve their own agendas. Political bickering, both national and international, stifles meaningful progress while savagery and godlessness flourish.  But we should not fear, for God’s Plan is unfolding according to His Will!

When God hardened the heart of Pharaoh, it wasn’t to make Egypt suffer as retribution for Israel’s enslavement.  On the contrary! Egypt was fulfilling God’s plan – that “I may show these signs of Mine before him, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and your son’s son the mighty things I have done in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD” (Exodus 10:1-2). The turmoil that is quickly unfolding before our eyes is now necessary in order for this callous world to truly understand who God is.

Digging one’s heels into the ground, has become a typical method of conflict resolution, especially in politics.  This obstinate society is stymied in meaningless opinion, lacking Godly wisdom and knowledge. Mankind is failing, and they don’t know why. Everything EXCEPT God is looked to for guidance and hope. 

Christ spoke as to why mankind cannot see the mire they are slowly sinking into. “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:5-6). Jesus later outlined what we should strive to take in: “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:13-14).

Obstinance isn’t bad if you are “digging in” to the truth, if you refuse to be swayed by the blindness that permeates the world.  Consider Paul’s admonition: “…we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:13-14). It is an honor to be considered foolish by the world around us.

Converted baptized members of the true Church of God are admonished by God to examine themselves prior to partaking of the annual New Testament Passover, so that they do not take the symbols in an unworthy manner. We read in 1 Corinthians 11:27-28: “Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.”

Why are Christians admonished to do that?  They have to approach the Passover in as sinless a state as possible, even though they cannot be totally cleansed of sin in the flesh, since that will only occur when they are God beings in the Kingdom. It is then that they cannot sin anymore.

If we say we have no sin now, we deceive ourselves. Notice what John says about this, in 1 John 1:9-10:

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”

The key to being in a less sinful state is to confess our sins and to obtain forgiveness.  That includes to admit to God we have a problem in certain areas of our lives, which we can discover with proper examination.

We know that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness, as 1 John 1:5-7 tells us:

“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

It is amazing what light does. When I used to do drywall jobs for people and came to sand the wall, I used to put a light on the floor at the base of the wall. The light would reveal the flaws in the wall. Looking straight at the wall, it would look good, but once I sanded it, with a light on the floor, I was able to make the flaws disappear. Otherwise, when it came to painting, the flaws would show up.

When we are using, as it were, the light of God to examine ourselves, we will see certain flaws which we would otherwise ignore or neglect. Once we see those flaws (sins), we can confess them to God, ask for forgiveness, and we are then cleansed with the blood of Christ.

It is important for baptized members of the true Church of God to partake of the Passover. It is equally important for them to use the light of God to reveal their sins, so that they can repent and partake of the Passover in a worthy manner, thus pleasing their Creator God and their Saviour Jesus Christ.