God told Joshua in Joshua 1:6-7 to be “strong and of good courage.” Being physically strong gives us physical courage. More importantly, spiritual strength gives us spiritual courage and encouragement. We know that when our ways please God, He backs us up and gives us needed spiritual strength to fulfill our individual responsibilities.

The reason we can have the assurance of God’s help is that God promises never to leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). This is the same promise He made to Joshua in Joshua 1:5: “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor FORSAKE you.” This means, through thick and thin–in good times and in bad times. In that we can have confidence!

The other side of the coin is this: When we are weak physically or spiritually, we can easily get discouraged. And then, we can become targets for our adversary–Satan the devil–to influence our thinking and thereby affecting the way we conduct ourselves.

How can we, as God’s people, remain on the strong and encouraging side of the coin? One way is to follow the admonition in 1 Peter 5:6-7, to humble ourselves under the MIGHTY hand of God and to cast ALL (not some of) our care upon Him, KNOWING that He CARES for us.

If we can bear this truth in mind in the face of trials and adversity, we will strengthen our resolve not to get discouraged, but rather, to remain powerful in the LORD.

As long as we are strong and of good courage, doing His Will in our lives, we can be assured of the fulfillment of God’s promise never to leave us nor to forsake us–because He cares for us and our potential to be in His Kingdom. He has an “investment” in us, so to speak. So let us “pay” God “back” for His goodness, by making sure that we remain faithful, hopeful and confident–being strong and of good courage.

On Friday, March 28, we will begin our week-long annual conference. We have been asking you to pray for its success. But how should you pray, exactly? Which petitions, in particular, should you include in your daily prayers?

Jesus Christ asked us to pray for the soon-coming Kingdom, and that God’s Will be done on earth (Matthew 6:10). He also reminded us to ask the Father for our daily bread (Matthew 6:11); that is, for our daily physical and spiritual needs. We understand that God’s Kingdom will NOT come, unless it is proclaimed first in all the world as a witness (Matthew 24:14), and unless the Bride of Christ–His Church–has made herself ready (Revelation 19:7; 2 Peter 3:9). If we want to be useful tools in God’s Work, we MUST strive to overcome our weaknesses and sins. Since God has assigned to us the task of participating in His great and awesome endeavor–His two-fold commission for the Church–here are some areas to include in your daily prayer for a successful conference:

— Pray for God’s guidance and revelation of His Will regarding current and new projects of the Church–to provide open doors for us to preach the gospel (1 Corinthians 16:9; 2 Corinthians 2:12). For instance, we are going to discuss ways to produce German video and French audio programs, as well as placing our English video programs with additional Internet providers. We will also discuss new advertisement projects, and how to become more known and effective, in general, by and for our present and future readership and audience. All of this will require God’s direction to make right decisions in this regard, as well as much time and additional laborers.

— Pray for God’s guidance in deciding which new booklets and other literature should be produced in 2008, to help our fellow-man to understand and grow in the Truth of God.

— Pray that God shows us how to spend wisely His money, which He has entrusted to us. What new equipment needs to be bought in furtherance of the preaching of the gospel and feeding the flock? What other expenses will be necessary or expedient to fulfill God’s commission? As we said at the outset of establishing the Church of the Eternal God, we will not go into debt. We will not commit to or “spend” money which God has not yet given us. We trust that God will give us our daily bread–including our needs for doing the Work and feeding the flock in accordance with His Will (compare Matthew 10:7-10; 1 Timothy 5:17-18; 1 Corinthians 9:14).

— Pray for the financial blessing of the Work and that God will send laborers into His harvest (Matthew 9:37-38), so that we can carry out endeavored projects, according to God’s Will. This would include praying for physical blessings for our members and co-workers; for the securing and maintaining of good jobs; and for their healing or protection from sickness, which could prevent some of becoming or staying gainfully employed. At the same time, pray to God to provide His Work with more co-workers, and to impress on His people the need to be faithful in regular tithes and offerings (Malachi 3:8-10; Leviticus 27:30). Pray to God to bless the annual Holy Day offerings, which are to be given seven times a year, commencing with two Holy Days during the Days of Unleavened Bread, which will be observed shortly after the conference (Please review our booklet, “The Meaning of God’s Fall Holy Days,” on pages 58-60).

–Pray that our discussions and implementation of Feast site preparations for the Feast of Tabernacles 2008 in the USA will be successful, and that God will clearly show and provide us with the location where HE wants HIS name to be placed for us (Deuteronomy 12:5).

— Pray for God’s Wisdom as to how to deal with other Church organizations within the Body of Christ, as well as how to deal administratively with problems which might arise within our own fellowships.

— And finally, please pray that God will give all of us, whom He has called in this day and age, the unwavering zeal and enthusiasm for His Work (compare John 2:17; Revelation 3:19)–the most important task ANYONE could be engaged in–to announce the soon-coming end of this present terrible and EVIL world, and a so much better world to come. God has promised us that He will provide us with what we NEED (Philippians 4:19)–individually and collectively–when we SEEK Him and HIS righteousness FIRST (Matthew 6:31-34). We can absolutely trust in His promise–because God CANNOT lie (Titus 1:2)–as long as WE do our part.

So please, stay involved! Pray daily for a successful conference. There is so much to pray about. You might think of additional areas, which are not mentioned in this Editorial. Just make your requests known to God on high (Philippians 4:6)–and God, in accordance with His Will, has promised to grant us the desires of our hearts, if we fully believe Him, without doubting (1 John 5:14-15; James 1:6-7).

Close counts in playing marbles, horseshoes and for certain other games. As used in our daily conversation, close means to be near in space or time.

But just being close doesn’t count if we want to know and believe the truth!

False teachers come close to the truth. They may even say some things that are partially true, but this is done to promote what is untrue. Paul had to contend with this counterfeit element within the Church of God:

“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

No created being was closer to God than Satan. He is identified as one of the original covering cherubs who were at the throne of God (Compare Ezekiel 28:14). But being close to God was not enough. Satan chose a course of life that drove him away from God. Jesus said this about Satan:

“‘…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’” (John 8:44).

Our Christianity faces constant assault from Satan, and he does it by his deceiving lies. His success has been all too pervasive, but not complete. John makes this contrast about us—if we are the true followers of Jesus Christ:

“We KNOW that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. And we KNOW that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may KNOW Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 5:19-20).

Being called to the knowledge of the truth of God sets us free from the lies of Satan and from those who represent him (Compare John 8:32). For us to know the truth and to know to reject the lies, Jesus Christ, “…gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” (Galatians 1:4).

Considering this, we must constantly examine what we believe and with what fervency we hold on to the truth we have received! Being just close, in this endeavor, is NOT enough!

From time to time, we may do stupid things. We may say something, which we should not have said. We may hold our tongue when we should have spoken up. In short, we might have made mistakes.

But we might not realize it then. And so, we may make the same mistake again. And again. And we still may not get it.

Oftentimes, wrong conduct leads to automatic unpleasant consequences for us–physically or spiritually (compare Jeremiah 2:19; 4:18). But we might not see the connection. Unaware that we should not have acted or spoken in a certain way, we might not comprehend that the unhappy events which might “befall” us are the direct and automatic result of our wrong behavior.

However, when we don’t see and learn from our mistakes, we are bound to repeat them.

That is where correction comes in. And correction may enter into our lives in many different ways. As pointed out, a certain “penalty” or “correction” may be “automatic.” However, when we don’t connect the dots, a friend, mate, relative, employer, employee, church member or minister may point out to us an area of concern. Sometimes, such type of “correction” won’t prove to be sufficient (Proverbs 29:19). And so, God may become directly involved in other ways. He may let us look into the mirror of His Word, by causing us to find and read a particular passage in Scripture (James 1:22-24; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). He may inspire one of His ministers to give a sermon on the relevant issue. Or, He may give us thoughts during our prayers, fasting and meditation which reveal to us our shortcomings.

The real question is: When we are in need of correction, how do we react when correction comes?

Are we easily entreated? Are we willing to listen? Are we humbly allowing for the possibility that we have been wrong? Are we willing to make amends? Are we willing to reconcile with others whom we may have offended–perhaps not realizing that we did, until it is brought to our attention? And since misunderstandings or bad relationships are oftentimes caused by mutual conduct, are we willing to also give and accept mutual correction and forgiveness? And once we have forgiven from the heart, are we eradicating the perceived or real offense from our memory–as God does when He forgives?

Or, are we so proud and convinced of ourselves that we dismiss all godly-inspired correction as Satanic “persecution” or  “wrong and evil accusation”? Are we explaining away God’s direct and loving intervention in our lives (Proverbs 3:12)? Are we mislabeling God’s correction as mere “time and chance” (Jeremiah 5:3; Zephaniah 3:2)?

On the other hand, if we realize that it is God’s correction, are we gladly accepting it as an opportunity to overcome our shortcomings (Job 5:17)? Or are we despising or rejecting God’s correction and then becoming discouraged and dissatisfied? The fact is, we all do this from time to time. But God tells us to look very positively and joyfully at His correction (Hebrews 12:5-6).

Correction is necessary for our own good–to bring about change and growth in our lives. And so, when examining ourselves, we must not forget to focus on the vital area of our need for godly correction. Let us be prepared for it. After all, it will come–the question is, are we going to deal “correctly” with correction?

In a few weeks time, baptized members of the Church of God will be taking the Passover as instructed by Jesus (compare John 13). This is an annual event that the Church of God has kept down through the centuries. But before we take the Passover, there are many things that we have to do.

As we are reminded in Rene Messier’s new member letter, we are told to examine ourselves – not others. It is very easy to examine the faults and sins of other people but much more uncomfortable to review our own situation. This self examination, while ongoing throughout our lives, takes on extra significance as we approach the Passover (see 1 Corinthians 11:27-28). We should examine every aspect of our lives, and we should all heed the instruction given by Jesus to the lawyer in Matthew 22:34-40, to love both God and man with all of our hearts. If we have a problem with someone which might inhibit our relationship with him or her, we are told exactly what to do.

Matthew 18:15-17 is a short passage of Scripture, which deals with interpersonal relationships and conflict resolution, but pride and lack of courage can often get in the way. Nevertheless, it is the way that God instructs in sorting out a problem. The apostle Paul talks about a ministry of peace and reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). We are to “leave our gift at the altar and be reconciled” (Matthew 5:22-24). What if the other party refuses to reconcile and although he understands this admonition, he works his way around the behavior that God expects? If we have made the approach and been rebuffed, there is little we can do except to pray that God will open the mind of that person. It truly is a great sadness when this happens.

However others behave does not give us license to act in a similar fashion. Christ, when He was dying on the cross, asked His Father to “forgive them for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34). We should take exactly the same position, not because of smugness or self-righteousness, but with a humble attitude knowing that it is the way that pleases God. Reviewing and implementing all of these admonitions will ensure that we can take the Passover in a worthy manner, knowing that we have fulfilled the Biblical admonition to examine ourselves.

You name it – I am sure that someone out there is fretting about it. We live in a world plagued with phobias.  We may look at some of these issues that others are overly concerned about, and these are not issues that trouble us.

We may look at issues that vexed us when we were young, and they no longer present a problem to us now, and we think how silly it was to have made a mountain out of a mole hill.

This begs the question, “Why do we worry about what we do now, and should we really be worrying about it?”

In Philippians 4:6 it states, “Be anxious for nothing….” Matthew 6:25 says, “…do not worry about your life…”  That pretty much covers EVERYTHING.  We are not to worry about anything because God has said that He would look after us. 

This, of course, does not preclude us from doing what we are supposed to do, as God has commanded throughout the Scriptures.  But, we do what we can and place the rest of the burden upon the shoulders of God.

Knowing what we know, worrying demonstrates a LACK OF FAITH.  That’s right… to worry is to not trust God.  It is not believing that He will do what He says that He will do.  When God says that He will not let time and chance happen to us and that He will provide for our needs — we can rest assured that God CAN and WILL do this.

If we trust in God, we will find a relief from the stresses that once weighed heavily upon us. To not do this, is to remove our focus from the Kingdom of God and succumb to a device of Satan.

“Where’s the commitment?”, the new car ad asks. You don’t like your job–get another one. You don’t like your wife–get another one. Presumably, you will like the car they are selling you, and you will hold on to it. So, is a car more important to us than our job or our marriage?

Approximately 50% of current marriages in the Western world will end in divorce. Perhaps, the marriage vow should be changed to, “TILL DIVORCE DO YOU PART.” Recently, three young adults appeared on a daytime show confronting their parents over their divorce. The emotional trauma was very evident, as the children talked to both parents about their pain, suffering and utter devastation that the effect of the divorce had on their lives. The tears were flowing, and they were obviously distraught over an event that had happened several years previously.

On the same program, a woman in her forties was still suffering from the effects of the divorce of her parents. There were tears and anguish over that event that had taken place some twenty years earlier. The lady was still dealing with the detrimental effects it had on her; especially, since there was no closure in her mind. We know a lady who has been divorced for over twenty-five years. She has children with her new husband. Nevertheless, she explains that there is not a day that goes by, when she does not think about her first husband.

No matter how long ago a divorce took place, the destructive emotional trauma will continue to be felt by the spouses and the children alike. The damage will remain for a very long time. Even though God allows for divorce under certain circumstances, it is no wonder that God says that He utterly hates divorce–and for a good reason. Divorce is never a happy solution. Satan,the god of this world,is determined to destroy mankind, and he is using divorce very effectively towards that end. Divorce produces broken families, children without fathers or mothers, and other social curses. Satan hates marriage because it is a physical type of what and how the God Family functions–and will function for all eternity.

Thankfully, those who have received God’s Holy Spirit, can look forward to a marriage from which there will be no divorce. Christ will consummate His marriage with faithful members of His Church at His Return (Revelation 19:9). We can with zeal and anticipation look forward to this great event, which will not end in separation or divorce or pain or suffering or emotional trauma or tears (Revelation 20:4).

Let us strive and ensure that we remain true to our mates “till death do us part.” More importantly, let us make every effort to faithfully uphold our relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ, our Bridegroom–moving forward towards the great and glorious future event of spiritually consummating our marriage with our Husband.

The answer depends on which clock you check.
 
If you check the U.S. Debt Clock, you might think it’s time to tighten our fiscal belts. According to that clock, the U.S. National Debt has grown $1.48 billion per day since September 29, 2006. That puts our debt at over $9 trillion. Some organizations, including one who counts among its members the former Chief Financial Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, says U.S. debt calculations should include expenses like social security and government pensions. When these are included, the U.S. Debt Clock reads $55 trillion!

If the Debt Clock doesn’t make you nervous, maybe the one maintained by the Board of Directors of the Bulletin for Atomic Scientists will. According to their Website, their clock “…conveys how close humanity is to catastrophic destruction—the figurative midnight—and monitors the means humankind could use to obliterate itself.” In January 2007 that clock was moved forward to five minutes to midnight. The statement about this change included the following sobering comments:

“We stand at the brink of a second nuclear age. Not since the first atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki has the world faced such perilous choices. North Korea’s recent test of a nuclear weapon, Iran’s nuclear ambitions, a renewed U.S. emphasis on the military utility of nuclear weapons, the failure to adequately secure nuclear materials, and the continued presence of some 26,000 nuclear weapons in the United States and Russia are symptomatic of a larger failure to solve the problems posed by the most destructive technology on Earth.”

Before you dismiss this as hyperbole, consider a statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin made less than two weeks ago: “A new round of the arms race is developing in the world. Russia will start production of new types of arms, with the same or even superior specifications compared to those available to other nations.” The Bulletin for Atomic Scientists reports that “50 of today’s nuclear weapons could kill 200 million people.” What possible use could anyone have for weapons that are “superior” to these?

The Bible foretells of a time when such weapons will be used. It will be a time of “…great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21).

But when will this happen? God, in His wisdom, has not told us. But despite the fact that we don’t know the exact time—or perhaps because we can’t know it—the Bible gives us an urgent or persistent admonition to watch. We see this in Mark 13:33: “Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.” In Revelation 3:3, we are warned: “…if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief…”

What time is it now?

Now is the time to watch and be ready. Now is the time to be zealous and repent.

Now is NOT the time to forsake God’s way of life or His people, but to draw close, to stir up love and good works. Now is high time for us to be fully awake, for our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.

Now is the time–with all of our heart, our mind and our strength–to make our calling and election sure. If we will do this now, then “…an entrance will be supplied to [us] abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:11).

It is time for a reality check. The particular reality of concern is something that will happen in the future. It is an absolute certainty!

Here is perhaps the most succinct presentation describing the fate of some people: “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).

The Bible nowhere describes or supports the concept of an ever-burning hell fire–or even a temporary hell, commonly called “purgatory”–in which bad people—”sinners”—will live for eternity while suffering the most excruciating and fiendish torture imaginable! However, the Word of God does reveal a penalty for sin, and that is death—utter destruction, an erasure of life and existence of any kind (compare Romans 6:23).

Concerning this bleak fate, it is avoidable. God has made it possible for humans to turn to their Savior, Jesus Christ, and, through repentance and the gift of the Holy Spirit, live righteous lives that will culminate in the gift of eternal life in the Family of God. God even says that He is, “…not willing that any should perish [in the lake of fire] but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Also, God “…desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).

“God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16). That is certainly proven by what He has done for the world–in giving His Son (who had been with Him from eternity) as a sacrifice for the sins of all who would believe in and accept Jesus Christ as the Savior and Master of their lives (compare John 3:16).

Let’s not now take any of this precious knowledge or our unparalleled opportunity for granted! Nor should we allow ourselves to let down and fall away from the Truth of God! Rather, we must all be the “more diligent” to make our own “call and election sure, for if [we] do these things [we] will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to [us] abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (compare 2 Peter 1:10-11).

You see, this same God of love who has promised us eternal life, has also provided a solution for those who utterly reject Him, His Son and the glorious opportunity to live and serve in the Kingdom of God throughout the limitless future of eternity! That solution is eternal death! The lake of fire will be a real place, and those who rebel against God in utter defiance and intractable stubbornness will reap the frightful penalty of eternal destruction. They will become “ashes under the soles of… the feet” of the righteous (Malachi 4:3), and “they shall be as though they had never been” (Obadiah 16).

Just a bit of a reminder, a concerned warning—a reality check for each one of us to think about.

Sin! What a religious-sounding word! Many hear it and think immediately of hell and damnation. To be told that we have sinned may cause us to react with anger, defiance or rejection. We may become frustrated, disillusioned, discouraged and even depressed, thinking that all is lost. But we all have sinned, and we all still sin today–not, that we should sin, but we do. We should not take sin lightly, but we should not give up in hopelessness and despair when we don’t seem to get rid of sin as quickly as we would want to.

In the Bible, sin describes many facets of human life. Both in the Old and the New Testament, the most common expression for sin conveys the thought of having missed the mark. It does not necessarily refer to deliberate, malicious conduct, but rather to a failure, many times because of neglect, to achieve the desired success. We miss the mark because we may not be diligent enough to try to find it; we may not have enough of God’s help to be successful; or we may not be THAT much interested in succeeding. In the final analysis, we miss the mark because we do not realize that we NEED God’s help to be victorious; that our own will power and strength are NOT sufficient to succeed.

If we neglect to avail ourselves of the help that God is willing to offer us, we WILL fail. Of course, we cannot expect to receive God’s help if we are unwilling to obey Him. The idea that God accepts us “just as we are,” meaning that He does not require of us to obey Him and to overcome sin, is a Satanic deception, which is aimed at diminishing or quenching any zeal or effort on our part to get rid of sin. God tells us that we MUST overcome sin, and with His help, we CAN do so.

In order to become more and more perfect in our efforts to get rid of sin, we basically need to follow three steps: We need to see and acknowledge our sin; we must hate it enough to be willing to get rid of it; and finally, we must take action, because only those who DO God’s commandments will inherit eternal life.

But–for each of these three steps, God’s INVOLVEMENT is NECESSARY. To be able to see and acknowledge sin, God must show it to us. Generally, man is incapable of seeing himself as he really is. Secondly, we can only really hate our sin and obtain a desire to get rid of it, when God gives us such strong feelings and convictions. Man does not really hate sin–but God does. So, we must develop in us the mind of God to be able to think more and more, as God thinks. And finally, in order to take action and overcome sin in our lives, we need to accept God’s help. Man, left alone, is not able to forsake the wrong and do the right, unless he avails himself of God’s strength and USES it in his fight against sin.

God is willing to forgive us all of our sins, when we repent; that is, when we forsake what is wrong and begin to do what is right. However, God does not want us to sin. We are told not to sin. This shows that we CAN get rid of sin. We CAN hit the mark–we don’t HAVE to miss it and to fail. But in order to become victorious, we NEED to have God on our side.

Do YOU keep missing the mark? If you do, cast your burdens on God. Let HIM fight your battles for you–and follow His lead when He does.