Compromise

Recently there have been several references to compromise in the messages we have been receiving, and today I’d like to look at why it is so important not to compromise on God’s Word. Once we compromise, we open the floodgates to changes, which can lead to the destruction of the entire Church and also the individual.

Through the leadership of Evangelist Norbert Link, we are determined not to compromise with God’s Word, regardless of the consequences, even if this means low growth, threats or other “setbacks.” One of the key reasons is a matter of trust, as stated by Christ in Luke 16:10:  “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.”

If we as a Church can be faithful in that which is little in comparison–the unfettered preaching of the gospel to the world without compromise or apology–then we can be entrusted with the much bigger task of ruling the world under and with Christ, as revealed in Revelation 5:10: “ And [You] have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”

Rulers and priests (teachers) under Christ will not be intimidated or shy, and they will not compromise in getting the truth out to the world.

This is somewhat of a proving ground for us now. Can we do it as we are commanded, do it faithfully and allow God to open the doors for us, and not to get hung up on looking for huge numbers in the Church nor for a host of other distractions? Bear in mind what God was able to do with Gideon’s small group, after He had reduced the number from 30,000 to 300, to prove the point that God can do wonders with a small dedicated uncompromising  faithful group who are seeking to do His will regardless of the consequences, until the end of their lives or the return of Christ? If they do, then they will inherit salvation and receive the crown of life.

Matthew 10:22 says:  “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.”

2 Timothy 4:8 adds: “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

Paul never let the trials he had to go through blur the reward that was before him. His trials are outlined in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28:

“Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.”

Paul never allowed the trials to hinder his God-given task. I wonder if we would remain that faithful if we were to face even a fraction of what he had to go through.  Paul was aware of the promise from Christ not to ever be forsaken, which must have given him the strength and courage to endure his trials.

Hebrews 13:5 tells all of us: “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU.’”

We can draw strength from this promise from Christ, giving us the determination to move forward with the task at hand in an uncompromising way, which will guarantee us a position in the Kingdom of God.

Self Examination

We have just concluded the Days of Unleavened Bread, which is a time of self-examination and re-evaluation of our relationship with God and Christ. The purpose has been to compare ourselves with ourselves in order to determine what kind of person we were a year ago and today; and to make any necessary corrections.

Keeping sin out of our lives is not just a weekly occasion, which can be neglected during the rest of the year. No person would vacuum a room every day for a week and then let it sit for a year, expecting it to remain clean. It is the same with our lives. We have to look at ourselves and make an effort on a continual basis to remove sin and to keep it out. A slight physical course deviation can cause us to miss the mark completely; similarly, a small spiritual deviation can cause us to end in a devastating disaster.

It is easy to get distracted so that we may miss a physical goal or mark. In the same manner, a little sin, which is compared with leaven, can cause us to totally miss the spiritual mark, if not dealt with. That is why we must continually evaluate the course of our lives, looking to God for direction and correction when required.

Christ makes the statement that we are not to look back and yearn for our old ways once we put our hand to the plow. Luke 9:62 tells us:  “But Jesus said to him, ‘No one having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.’”

Once we make the commitment to follow and obey God, He takes it seriously, and it is not a light thing to turn back from that commitment since it could lead to the loss of our eternal salvation. That is why it is important to stay focused and on course and to use daily the tool of self-examination which enables us to see the need to remove sin, so that we can attain the promise of eternal life in God’s Kingdom. When we fall short by sinning, we must quickly repent and move forward towards the Kingdom of God, knowing that it is God’s good pleasure to give us His Kingdom.

The Fall of Satan

The main cause of Satan’s fall was pride and we should ensure we don’t fall into that trap.  The seven things God hates are a reflection of the mind of Satan and something for us to avoid.

 

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The Love for the Truth

The lack of love for the truth was the reason for the downfall of our former association.  There should be a sincere desire in us not to compromise and have a godly heart wanting to obey Him.

 

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Does 1 Timothy 5:8 Allow Working on the Sabbath?

1 Timothy 5:8 reads as follows: “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

God tells us very clearly that we are not to work on the Sabbath to make money (Exodus 20:8-11). But does this command also apply when a family is in need of money?

Let us first look at the general responsibility of a husband in regard to his wife and family.

Ephesians 5:25 – 29 tells us:

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.”

A husband is to love his wife and his family and care for them. This of course implies taking care of their physical needs and not to neglect those needs. The comparison is given as to how Christ loves the church. He nourishes it; that is, He ensures the members are fed spiritually. God also takes care of our physical needs (Philippians 4:19). And we read that Christ cares for the church and protects it. Notice also the admonition about nourishing his own flesh which is to provide food for himself, his wife and his family.

Further admonition to husbands is given in Colossians 3:19-21:

“Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.”

Husbands are to love their wives. They are not to provoke their children, which includes providing for their needs. We have many examples in the Bible of men providing for their wives and families, including Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Some husbands had large families and ensured they were well taken care of, and they still were obedient to the laws of God, refusing to work on the Sabbath.

The question may be asked as to what to do if a husband does not earn enough money (which is normally the case today), or if a man falls on hard times and cannot provide for the basic needs of his family. Is he then entitled or even obligated to work on the Sabbath?

The Bible does not allow us to do so. Some may point at some “safety nets,” such as unemployment benefits, food banks, governmental assistance, etc., but these are only temporary measures (if at all) which do not give us real answers. The Church of God also provides temporary and discretionary third tithe assistance for its members to help them in emergency situations (including for widows, orphans and “Levites”).

If a capable husband is temporarily unemployed, he is not to just wait for a miracle, without doing his part. It is his job to find a job. It goes without saying that in this day and age, and especially in our western societies, a capable wife may have to help out by finding employment herself, or to assist in other ways (note Proverbs 31). In fact, this is basically the norm today in most cases—especially, when there are no children, or when the children are gown. However, if there are small children, it should be guaranteed that they do not suffer in the process and are well taken care of. Such arrangement should be by mutual consent between husband and wife.

God commands us that we are to rest on the Sabbath and to cease engaging in our customary and usual work for the purpose of making money. God tells us to rest on that day from our labors as God did after the re-creation week. He did not rest because He was tired, but He gave us an example to follow. After all, the Sabbath was made for MAN (Mark 2:27).

Keeping the Sabbath holy by observing it brings blessings. Breaking the Sabbath brings curses, even if one feels justified to do so. Rather than thinking that we need to work on the Sabbath to provide for ourselves and our families, Christ told us to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then God promises us to give us what we need (Matthew 6:32-33). This requires faith, and we have to do our part, to be sure, but God will open up for us possibilities to find a good job and other opportunities, so that it is never an option for us to violate any of His laws.

Lead Writer: Rene Messier (Canada)

The Point of No Return

In the 80’s, a co-worker told me that he liked going down to the Vancouver airport to watch planes take off from the perimeter road located to the south of the runway, going north and south.

Planes departing in this direction fly over a body of water, and from the road one can get a really good view of the take-offs. One hot summer day, he was watching a Boeing 747 taking off. He was aware that there is a point on a runway called the point of no return. Pilots know about it, even though it is not marked by a big sign and pointing arrow. When that point is reached, the pilot can still abort the takeoff safely in case of an emergency, without running out of runway. Once this point is passed, he must attempt the take off.

My co-worker observed that the Boeing 747 was lumbering down the runway, not gaining much lift due to the hot summer air which is thinner than cold air, and it passed the point of no return. The plane was not lifting off and was running out of runway. It slowly gained a bit of elevation, but with the wheels still down, he thought the wheels would hit the perimeter barbwire fence around that part of the airport. This would have caused the plane to crash into the water of the Bay.

The pilot retracted the wheels way before he normally would do, and the plane cleared the fence. Once over the water, the air being a bit cooler and more dense, the plane slowly began to get more lift, but it seemed that it took forever to gain enough altitude to make its turn towards its destination.

This episode may remind us of our experience with sin, because there is a point of no return that we should be aware of. This process is outlined in the book of James:

“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:13-15).

First we are drawn away by our own desires or tempted by our desires and enticed; that is, sin doesn’t look so bad, in fact, it looks good. Notice, once the desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, so the time to put on the brakes is before it conceives because by then one may be in danger of passing the point of no return. After conception, our desires give birth to sin—not to immortal life, but to sin—and when sin is fully grown, it brings forth death. It is like a little leaven which grows until the whole body is leavened. Likewise, the end result of sin is death from which, if not repented of, there could be no return. That is why it is important to control our desires and to resist sin early on.

We know that Christ was tempted in all things, yet He never sinned. Hebrews 4:14-15 tells us:

“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

Christ never passed the point of no return—for Him, it was never a close call. He never allowed desires to take hold of or conceive and settle in His mind, and He never allowed them to give birth to sin. Since He could overcome temptation, we can do likewise, when Christ lives in us, helping us to attain that state of being free from sinful behavior. Let us never lose sight of the fact that with Christ’s help, we can overcome temptation and abort actions leading to sin, and if desires have conceived and have given birth to sin and death, we must quickly repent by “retracting the wheels” and attempting the lift-off from and rising above sin, so as to avoid going beyond the point of no return.

Letter to the Brethren – January 15, 2015

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Dear Brethren, Co-Workers and Friends:

We have just gone through another year, as man counts it, and we are now in 2015. For some in 2014 it has been a bad year, especially in the Middle East—some have been butchered, tortured or abused. We have also lost some faithful members whom we shall not see until the resurrection to eternal life.

This world has not become a better place; if anything, it’s gotten worse. Even in our free Western societies, a lot of our individual freedoms have been eroded and our efforts to bring the truth to the world are being stifled by the governments of this world. Our radio broadcasts were discontinued due to the nature of our message. Many do not seem to like the fact that we are proclaiming the full counsel of God (Acts 20:27) and that we are unwilling to water down, compromise or speak the truth with a “forked tongue,” only in order to become accepted or tolerated by this world. You cannot go on TV or radio and really tell it like it is, and speak out against abortion, homosexuality, same-sex marriages, fornication, war, smoking, the Trinity, the immortal soul, Christmas, Easter and Halloween, the cross, heaven and hell, true parenting, interracial or interfaith marriages, voting in governmental elections, jury duty, unclean meat, the secret rapture or a host of other unbiblical issues, without offending some influential group.

Due to this Satanic politically correct culture we live in, we do not really have real freedom of religious expression—not even in the USA, Canada, the UK or other English-speaking countries, let alone continental European nations and most certainly the oppressive rest of the world.

So just how do we accomplish our task of preaching the gospel to the world as a witness in such an environment? The way of the future to “get the gospel out” is the Internet where the restrictions of radio and TV are not yet a hurdle for us to jump over. In addition, the Internet is universal for the ability of most to access it, whereas radio and TV are restricted to geographical regions and prohibited in others as far as religious programming is concerned, and even where it is permitted, many, if not most, biblical and social topics are “taboo” and must not be addressed.

Our commission has not changed nor has the manner in which we accomplish our task. Apart from our numerous greatly improved and always expanding national and international websites, we will continue with producing and posting our English and German StandingWatch programs in the USA, Canada, the UK and Germany; as well as our weekly video sermons in English and German; writing and printing booklets (by now 40 English booklets are available); our weekly Updates (by now, over 670 Updates have been produced); our monthly member letters and our weekly and annual Sabbath services, which are being broadcast live, over the Internet, from California and Colorado, as well as throughout Germany, Austria and Switzerland. This is being done to fulfill our God-given commission to preach the gospel and to provide spiritual food for those who wish to receive it.

Even though we may not be a large group, we are dedicated to the job at hand and what sets us apart is our unwillingness to compromise with or water down God’s Word through unclear messages—a trend which is permeating many other groups within the churches of God to the detriment of the membership or sheep under their care. Notice what we read in John 21:15-17:

“So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Feed My lambs.’ He said to him again a second time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Tend My sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?’ Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love Me?’ And he said to Him, ‘Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed My sheep.’”

2015 will undoubtedly bring us more challenges, both collectively as a church and individually, because Satan hates God’s Church and all of its members. It is therefore incumbent upon us to both stay close to God and to endure at the same time.

Paul described our Christian lives as a race and no matter how difficult it may be at times, we must complete the race in order to receive the crown of eternal life.

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

We are both ambassadors for Christ and also God’s soldiers. Even though we do not take up arms and fight against human beings, we are still in a spiritual fight with Satan and his demons, the pulls of our flesh and this society which is presently governed by Satan and his wicked spirits in high places. Like good soldiers, we must ensure that our armor is both complete and in good condition. No soldier would go into battle with half of his armor, nor should we face each day with only half of our armor. Each piece is critical for our spiritual survival:

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:11-13).

Key words here are to have the whole armor and to stand. One does not win a battle sitting down or running away, but rather through engaging and confronting the enemy, and we are fighting against evil beings who never get tired and who do not have to take a break to rest or eat.

We are admonished to endure to the end in order to be saved and receive the reward. Some have died in Christ and are currently in their grave, “waiting” for their reward at the return of Christ. The rest of us have to push on to finish the race and the task given to us. God would not give us a task that is impossible to complete; so the fact that we have this task is proof that it can and will be accomplished. Then, the present god of this world and all of his demons who are responsible for all its evils will be replaced by Christ and His saints to rule the world in righteousness for a thousand years.

Our reward in the future will be measured by how well we do now collectively with our commission and individually with our growth in grace and knowledge of God. We are a team and we have a job to do that must be done for the world’s sake; otherwise, no flesh—both human and animal life—would survive the terrible times just ahead of us.

By the end of 2015, some of our brethren might have died and joined those who are “awaiting” their reward; the rest will have to push on till the end.

Let’s keep being faithful to our calling and completing our task of preaching the gospel to the world as a witness and overcoming our personal weaknesses. Then, all of us will meet Christ in the air at His return and get to work to finally make this planet a better and more joyous place for all mankind.

In Christ’s service,

Rene Messier

A Flash in the Pan

Over the years in the church we get to see various types of individuals who start attending Church services with us. One in particular is what I call a “Flash in the Pan.” People who have cooked have at times experienced this and that is when oil in a pan, unattended for whatever reason, reaches its flash or ignition temperature and catches fire. These are usually small fires, easy to extinguish.

There are some individuals who are this way. When we first meet them, they are bubbling over with enthusiasm and are all fired up about the new truth they are learning. Later their enthusiasm wanes, usually when facing a trial in regard to obeying God or perhaps some persecution from family members, so they begin to waffle a bit.

Christ warned us about some of the problems we would encounter. They are outlined in Matthew 13:3-8:

“Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

The flash in the pan is described in verses 20 -21:

“But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.”

Notice, they endure for a little while, and like a jet when it flames out, crashes and burns, they are suddenly gone. We have to have a certain degree of toughness and ability to endure in order to stay true to the course. When we have to make those tough decisions in regard to obeying God, we must do the right thing, and God will support us.

I remember so well how happy I was when I came to the knowledge of the Sabbath. What did not dawn on me at first was that I could not work or earn a living on that day.

What was I to do? I had a government job that required me to work on the Sabbath on a rotating basis, and there was no practical way around it. I had two children and one on the way, and a mortgage to pay. I was working in a prison hospital at the time on the second floor, by myself, pacing back and forth, realizing I could not work on the Sabbath coming up in a few days.

I decided then and there that I was not going to work that Saturday, regardless of the consequences. In less than ten seconds my boss came up the stairs and told me that a fellow worker who was scheduled to work that afternoon phoned in sick and that I could work a double shift that day to cover for him. I immediately said I would if I could have Saturday off, which he agreed to give me.

I later had to resign my job and I worked for several months at several jobs before I eventually got a good job–a month after I was baptized. I worked at that company for more than 38 years, until my retirement in 2007.

I reflect on this incident at times and it reminds me of what Christ said about never forsaking us. If we step up to the plate with faith, not wavering, we can hit a home run. When we are called, we are called for the duration and Christ never said it would be a slide downhill into the Kingdom. If we endure to the end, we will be saved and receive the reward.

The one thing we don’t want to be is a “Flash in the Pan.”

Going Forward

Now that the Feast of Tabernacles is over, we face a long stretch before the Spring Holy Days are upon us. Our spiritual batteries should be fully charged to carry us to the spring.

It is encouraging to see growth in the Church’s membership with seven baptisms performed at the Feast in Germany this year, to the joy of everyone there. But we must also bear in mind that growth comes in two forms.  One is growth within the membership; the other is growth in grace and knowledge of Christ, which is very important.

Our stance on not being willing to compromise may seem to hinder magnificent growth in numbers, yet we must always bear in mind that we can accomplish more with ten zealously committed and truly converted individuals than with one hundred or even one thousand lukewarm and unmotivated social “followers.”

We have a command from God to move forward in the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom, which is the only hope for mankind, and to do it with zeal.  God has no pleasure in an individual who looks back, once he has put his hand to the plough (compare Luke 9:62).

The world needs to hear the good news of the coming Kingdom of God, and the sinning nations of the House of Israel, namely the USA, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa, need to hear the Ezekiel warning message of coming disaster and slavery, which must occur before Jesus returns.

God’s Church must preach the Gospel with boldness, without shrinking back. Because of man’s foolishness, all flesh on this planet would be destroyed, if Christ was not to intervene, and hopefully, some who will hear the warning will respond and become Spirit-begotten members of the Family of God.

The Feast of Tabernacles has been an opportunity to charge up our batteries and energize ourselves for the push to get the Gospel message out to the world.  Individually, we must stay close to God in order to be useful instruments in His hands and according to His divine Will.

It’s onward and forward without looking back, since the time is nearer than it was last year, and we need to work hard to get the job done. Then the end of the present evil age will come. This world’s madness will cease, and Christ will establish a wonderful world of peace and harmony which is what the Feast of Tabernacles pictures. At that time, we will assist Christ in bringing mankind their opportunity for eternal salvation.

Let’s not lose sight of that goal, and let us remain firm in our commitment to God to get the task done soon.

Priorities

In the 1980s, I was involved in a management  training session which developed our abilities to properly prioritize things from the essential to the non-essential; the  most important to the less important; and the crucial to the insignificant. The purpose was to help us become effective managers in any company.

We had to imagine that we were isolated in the wilderness, with no help from anybody, and we had thirty items to choose from. Some of these items were of vital importance for our survival; others were trivial. To be able to survive, we had to list the items in the order of most important to least important; so it was essential to make wise choices. 

I don’t recall who provided the most correct answers according to the experts who had designed the list, but I do remember choosing correctly seven items out of the ten first ones, and I had also placed the first three in the correct order.

This reminds me that in this life we have to make choices and prioritize things so that we don’t waste time on frivolous and trivial pursuits while the crucial matters are being neglected.

Set forth below are examples of goals and objectives which Church members and non-Church members pursue in their lives. They include:

–Craving for material goods and buying all kinds of  toys  in an effort to keep up with friends and neighbours.

–Getting involved in local politics,  perhaps even running for the office of mayor, to make the community a better place.

–Getting involved in national political campaigns and propaganda, and voting for governmental candidates for the office of governor, senator, president, chancellor or prime minister.

–Being involved and  actively engaged in the process of preaching and publishing the gospel of the Kingdom of God to the world as a witness in whatever capacity God sees fit for us. This would include the fact that we have the potential to become members of the very God Family in the future, and also, to give a warning message now to the modern houses of Judah and Israel, namely the white Anglo Saxon nations, as well as to all the nations on this globe, to announce to them impending doom as a result of their sins, coupled  with the hope of a coming better world when Christ returns and establishes the government of God on the earth.

–Seeking to do everything  physically possible to make sure we will be protected from the Great Tribulation at the place of safety; thereby focusing foremost on preserving our own life.

–Being involved in local outreach programs for the community and in missionary work in third-world countries in an effort to bring individuals to Christ and to be seen as shining lights, craving for recognition and glory from man; usually, but not always,  with the proclamation of a wrong gospel message and a false Jesus Christ.

–Joining the military and the armed forces since we feel it is our duty to defend our country from enemies, domestic and foreign.

–Growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ so we can answer any questions in regard to the hope that lies within us.

–Seeking the pursuit of wealth and riches, realizing that a twisted concept of the golden rule applies so often in this world; namely, that those with gold rule; and we want to be part of that group.

These are just some of the pursuits that people get involved with. In regard to your spiritual salvation, how would you prioritize these pursuits? And which pursuits would you identify as the only two, which true Christians should and must engage in today?

The choice is ours. Let us ensure we make the right choices in the correct order.

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