“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.

Christ gave the disciples of His time the admonition to watch  (Mark 13:33), and He subsequently expanded this command to all of His disciples at all times  (Mark 13:37). Yet, what we see today is an array of people not following His instruction. Rather, they are focusing on peripheral areas, and not on the crucial aspects of what is happening in the world. 

Some are caught up in conspiracy theories; the Illuminati; a future world government originating with the United Nations; or the twenty richest people in the world who are believed to have some unrevealed plot to establish a world government. Even if there was an element of truth to some of the plans or plots of certain groups or organizations in this regard, this is not where events are going to eventually transpire. All of these theories are basically distractions to keep one’s mind away from the areas where prophecy will occur. Satan is doing a good job of keeping people’s minds–including the minds of some converted Christians–off from those critical areas.

Where many fail to watch and where the Bible clearly points to, is the development of a United  Europe. A strong political leader of German ancestry will emerge from within a United Europe, and a strong religious leader will arise in Rome. They comprise the “beast” and the “false prophet,” as they are called in Revelation 13:4-6, 11-16. They will be working together with the goal to dominate the world. They will be influenced and inspired to act by the powerful god of this world, Satan the devil. 

Another area where all these theories take one’s mind off, deals with future events in the Middle East. Europe and the Middle East are two of the predominant areas where prophecy will be fulfilled. World government truly is coming, but not in the form most believe. It is coming when Christ returns and when He establishes the Kingdom of God on this earth.

True Christians are told not only to watch, but they have the added responsibility of being involved. The Church of God has been given mainly two commissions–or two aspects of the Great Commission. First, it is to preach and publish the gospel of the Kingdom of God to the world, but only as a witness (Matthew 24:14; Mark 13:10, Authorized Version); that is, it is not to try to proselytize, browbeat, coerce, or use threats, but rather, it is to make the truth available. The Church’s second responsibility is to feed the flock or the sheep, as Christ told  Peter in John 21:15-17. These are the criteria by which the Church as a whole is judged.

Our individual responsibility is to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18), and to support the efforts of the Church through our prayers, tithes and offerings, and through whatever physical help we might be able to give. Anything that distracts us from these clearly defined goals will only lead to our downfall as individual members of the Church. And if a Church organization was to fall into the trap of being distracted from its commission by ignoring parts of it, or by substituting it with something else, then it, too, will ultimately cease to be a tool in God’s hands, in furtherance of His plan–even though the organization itself might thrive and become increased in wealth, riches and prestige.

That’s why it is so important to focus on the task at hand and to watch with understanding and consider the signs of the time, rather than being distracted by the conspiracy theories offered by Satan. The key question is, are we watching and being involved, or are we focusing our attention in wrong areas, which will only diminish our abilities to remain focused on the important things and remain effective in what we are doing?

The summer of 1969 was quite challenging for my family and me. I had come to the understanding that the Sabbath was the day of worship, designated by God, and that it was to be kept. What I didn’t  understand then, was the fact that I was not to work on that day.  I had a good government job at the time and was lined up for a promotion, but God had other things in mind.

Because of shift work, my job conflicted with the keeping of the Sabbath.  I still recall exactly when I came to this understanding–I was at work and faced my dilemma.  I was scheduled to work on that weekend.  I proclaimed to God my desire to obey Him, and asked if He would provide a way out of this situation.  No more than ten seconds after I decided that I could not and would not work that Saturday, my supervisor came to me and asked me if I would work a double shift since one of the men scheduled to work that afternoon had called in sick. I immediately said  I would do so, if he would give me Saturday off, which he agreed to do.

However, I had to quit my job shortly afterwards, because of Sabbath conflicts, and I really did not have any prospects for another comparable job. I was married, and we had three children. I  had previously worked for a plywood mill, so I applied there, and they hired me right away, the same day. Everything was fine until the third week when I was put on afternoon shift. That Friday, about an hour before sunset, I told my foreman I could not work beyond a certain time, for religious reasons, and he allowed me to go home. The next day I got a phone call from the personnel department stating that I was only a few days away from accruing  union seniority and thus union protection, but since I wasn’t prepared to work Friday evenings, I was summarily dismissed.

No work again! I applied for a job at another plywood mill, but after explaining that  I could not work from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, I got “the look”–the one where they figure “you have two heads.” The manager said he would contact me, but he never did.

It was August by now, and I was able to get a job with the teamsters union, unloading boxcars. This was heavy labor and intense work, but I did my best. In the meantime I heard  about a Provincial Gas Company that was hiring, so one day, after helping my father working at his house, I got the urge to apply for a job there, which I did. I was hired by this company and was to start on September 15.

I still remember the look of disappointment on the foreman’s face at the teamsters union job when I told him I had another job to go to. I also remember the funny look I got when I stated during my final interview for this new position that I needed some time off at the end of September to go to my first Feast of Tabernacles. My fellow co-workers could not understand how I could work for two weeks, and then get nine days off for the Feast.  I told them it was pre-arranged, and that I wasn’t getting  paid for the time off.

By then, I thought my Sabbath trials were over.  I had quit a job,  had been fired  from a job, and I was not hired because I wanted to obey and keep God’s Sabbath. But now, I had an 8:00 am to 4:30 pm job, for five days a week, and it did not require me to work on the Sabbath. 

Well, after about two years on the job, we were suddenly asked to work on the Sabbath, due to the increased workload. I told my supervisor that I could not work for religious reasons. The superintendent became involved and told me that I had no choice but to work on the Sabbath. In return, I explained to him that in that case, I had no choice but to resign my position. He then changed his mind because he felt that I was a valuable employee, and the company created a job for me which did not conflict with the Sabbath. I subsequently worked for that company for some thirty-seven years and ten months. I recently retired, in August of this year. 

That is not the end of the story, however. Revelation 13:16-17 describes a future time when a European “beast power” will influence the people of the whole world to accept a certain mark to be able to buy or sell. That mark of the beast is enforced Sunday worship and enforced work and labor on the Sabbath. This will be the final Sabbath Test for all Sabbath keepers alive at that time, who will not be protected in the place of safety (compare Revelation 12:13-17).

We sincerely hope that anyone facing this test will pass it, regardless of the consequences. Christ said that we should not worry about what we need to say when brought before magistrates or law enforcement agencies, but that God, through His Holy Spirit, will inspire us to state the right words. In the meantime, we must ensure that we are staying close to God to be able to endure any and all Sabbath tests, which we will face in the future.

Most of us have returned from what can only be described as one of the most successful and inspiring Feasts of Tabernacles. Ironically, we now have a long period ahead of us, before we have the opportunity to celebrate another festival in the Spring of 2008–which is about six months away. I don’t think for a moment, of course, that God made a mistake in allowing for such a long period of time between the Fall and the Spring Festivals. The Feast of Tabernacles is seven days long, followed by the Last Great Day–and so, we have had eight days of sermonettes, split sermons, sermons, fellowship and activities shared by all–and our memory and digestion of these events should last us until the Spring.

Now, consider this: The Feast of Tabernacles is kept for SEVEN days; the Fall Holy Days complete the SEVEN annual Holy Days; SEVEN is the number of completion; and–to stay within that picture–the Feast of Tabernacles is immediately followed by another day, going even “beyond” completion! We must therefore conclude from all these facts that God knows that the spiritual food which we received during the eight days of the last two Fall festivals, and the spiritual food which we will be receiving on a weekly basis during the SEVENTH-Day-Sabbath–is more than sufficient to last us until the annual Spring Holy Days; otherwise, God would have created additional festivals in the middle of that time frame.

We all should be able to appreciate the wonderful opportunities and privilege we have had to come before our God to learn to fear Him, as outlined in Deuteronomy 14:23. This fear is not one of dread and trepidation, but rather one of awe, respect and appreciation for our Great God. God has given us these annual Festivals both to rejoice and to learn to love, respect and obey Him. We have been given sufficient spiritual food to carry us forward to the Spring–and we should take advantage of every opportunity we are given to add to that spiritual food by drinking in the messages prepared for us on the weekly Sabbath. With that frame of mind, we can with anticipation look forward to the Spring when we shall once again begin the cycle of celebrating God’s annual Holy Days–reflecting on the process of the initial aspects of God’s master plan for mankind.

As we discuss in our new member letter in much more detail, we should not get the blues, become depressed, or let down during the following months, but rather use them as opportunities to meditate on and review the messages God has inspired the speakers to bring forth for us, and participate to the best of our ability to accomplish our individual and collective responsibilities as Christians and as members of the Church.

Most of us have appreciated during our travels beautiful natural lakes in various parts of the world, which are a product of the Creator God. We have marveled at the splendor of the color of the water, especially of those glacier lakes, and we have been awed by their beauty and their natural surroundings. Most of us have also seen man-made lakes, which are not so awesome, because they came into existence, perhaps, as a result of the building of dams or other man-made projects. The beaches of those lakes are not as nice, and the bottoms are usually filled with stumps from trees that have been cut off. The fish have been added. All of this shows that we cannot improve on perfection.

The same could be said about the seventh-day Sabbath. The Sabbath was a part of God’s perfect creation, established at the re-creation of the surface of the earth, as well as the creation of man, close to six thousand years ago. Christ said  in Mark 2:27: “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”  The Sabbath is an opportunity to rest from our labors, to worship our Creator,  and to appreciate His creation.

Some have abandoned the Sabbath and replaced it with Sunday, or they have never understood that the Sabbath is the designated day by God Almighty. Sunday is a product of man–not God. It was adopted by the churches of this world as if they could somehow improve on perfection. But they cannot!

The question is, why would we reject perfection and settle for the imperfect? Why would we want to worship our Creator with a man-made product, rather than a God-made product?

Which, do you suppose, is inferior–that which is created by God, or that which was established by man, without the advice of or blessing from God? Which, do you suppose, is superior–that which was created by God or that which was substituted by man?

Here is the real issue: Are we going to follow the traditions of man or the explicit inductions of the Creator God? God made the Sabbath for man–not Sunday. While the Sabbath reflects God’s perfection, Sunday is nothing else but a man-made tradition–a cheap substitute inspired by none other than the god of this world–Satan the devil.

All of us need to answer consistently the following question: Is our worship based on man-made or God-made injunctions? Is it based on God’s perfect law, or on man’s imperfect standards? The choice to do right is ours!

Actually, there are two parts to the following question: Are we, as a Church, Laodiceans, and am I a Laodicean?

You might be familiar with the characterization of some foolish and ignorant people that if one does not belong to their particular organization, one is automatically brushed with the title of  Laodicean and disqualified from belonging to the Philadelphian remnant of God’s Church.  

At one time almost all of us belonged to one big organization–with a few exceptions of some who rebelled and started their own churches. I believe that we belonged at that time to the Philadelphia era of God’s church. I also believe–and so do many others– that since the death of Mr. Armstrong in 1986, we have entered the Laodicean era. The question is, what is it that makes a church or person a Laodicean? What does the Bible tell us about the Laodiceans, as described in Revelation 3:14-22?

Christ’s major criticism–and not the objections by some “would-be-judges” who suffer from elevated self importance–is that the Laodicea Church is lukewarm, while its members feel that they are rich and wealthy and in need of nothing. They show a self-sufficient attitude–whether one applies this physically or spiritually. Christ described them as wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. It is evident that they perceive themselves quite differently than what they really are. Christ’s advice and counsel to them is to buy gold, to obtain white garments, and to anoint their eyes to see the reality of their current disposition. He also states that as many as He loves He chastens, indicating that some corrective action is required  for them to bring them around to ensure that they achieve a spiritual condition which is acceptable by Christ.

We as a church (the Church of the Eternal God in the USA; the Global Church of God in the UK; and the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship in Canada) have never claimed to be the only remnant of the Philadelphia Church, but we hope, of course, that we are part of the Philadelphia Church. We have taken the position that there are true Philadelphians in every Church of God group–or at least in most–as well as Laodiceans, and we certainly do not pass judgment on any one group or individual. 

What is the responsibility of the Church and of us, individually? The Church, as a body, is to preach and publish the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to the world as a witness (compare Matthew 24:14). Individually, we are to support that effort, and we are to grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).

If you are doing these things, then no one on this earth has any right to tell you that you are Laodicean and not a part of the Philadelphia remnant, only because you do not belong to the particular Church group of his choosing.  The churches of God are scattered right now. Jesus Christ is the living Head of His Church which is not one corporate entity, but one spiritual entity. God the Father and Jesus Christ determine who is a Philadelphian or a Laodicean–or who is not a Christian at all. At this time, we cannot perceive a movement by God  to bring us all together; therefore, there must be a reason for the scattering.  It is not the prerogative of some men  to pass judgment on God’s people or to sit in judgment of other members or groups–the self-righteous approach by some to determine–based on membership in “their” organizations–who is or is not a Philadelphian or a Laodicean, is contemptible in God’s eyes.

If you look at your particular situation and if you can stand before Christ at the judgment and say, “I grew in the Son’s grace and knowledge, even though I was not perfect, and I did my part to further the Gospel message to the world,” then you might very well hear the words of your Master: “Well done, you profitable servant.” On the other hand, those who self-righteously and blindly labeled you a Laodicean, because you did not belong to their group, might be called unprofitable servants and they might be thrown into outer darkness. Only God, who looks on the heart and circumstances in a Christian’s life, can make the right and just determination.

If you fulfill your Christian duties and responsibilities, then the answer to whether or not you are a Philadelphian or a Laodicean is self-evident.

We are admonished by Christ in Matthew 5:14-16, that we–as the light of the world–are to let our light shine. We are not to put our lamp under a basket or stool, as it were, but up on the table, where everyone can see and benefit from it. Light has interesting features. It illuminates, thereby driving out the darkness. It doesn’t make any noise and is therefore not intrusive. It allows us to do things which we could not do, once the sun has set. In order to continue a task, we merely turn on the lamps in the room in which we are working.   

As we have seen, we are supposed to let our light shine. Just exactly what did Christ have in mind when He said that? We have heard of the expression, actions speak louder than words, and–sadly–do as I say, but don’t do as I do. The power of a good example is a force to contend with, and it influences what people think about us. We let our light shine by the way we act. We are to walk in the light. Christ also said that men do their evil deeds under the cover of darkness, and Satan and the demons are associated with darkness. 2 Peter 2:4 tells us: “For… God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment…”  Men, following the lead of Satan and his demons, tend to do their dirty deeds under the cover of darkness.

Walking in the light means walking according to the commands and statutes of God, being in submissive obedience to His laws. We of course could never achieve this goal without the help of God’s Spirit in us, which is guiding us and assisting us to make right and correct choices in our lives. The closer we are to God in utilizing the tools He has described for us–prayer, Bible study, fasting and mediation–the more our light will shine as a powerful witness to this dying world.

Is our light shinning forth as a tribute to ourselves? Not at all! The reason why we must let our light shine is clearly spelled out in Matthew 5:16: “ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

The whole purpose is to give glory to God; it is not for the purpose of self aggrandizement. So let us walk in the light, and let us be children of light by our good example–all to the glory of our Great God.

The Holy Scriptures compare God’s Spirit and Spirit beings to the wind (John 3:8). Wind is invisible to the human eye. Yet, one can feel its effect on the human body in the form of a cool breeze, or on the earth in the form of a mighty wind.

In addition, the Bible talks about not quenching the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19). Here, it is compared to fire, which can be quenched  through various means. So, a person with the Holy Spirit can lose it (Hebrews 10:29; 6:4-6).

God’s Spirit has also been compared to water. We are told that in the future, God’s Spirit will be poured out–like water–upon all flesh (Acts 2:17-18). Isaiah 11:9 states: “For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea.”

Interestingly enough, water can be manifested in three forms. One is vapor which we cannot see–yet, it is present in the air and measured as relative humidity. The second form is liquid. The human body is, to about ninety percent, composed of liquid, and over seventy percent of the earth is covered with water. The third form is solid, which we know as ice. Water has also interesting qualities: It is the universal solvent–a requirement for physical survival of mankind and the animal and plant world; it seeks its own level regardless of surroundings, and it cannot be compressed; it also expands at each end of its state–frozen or very hot, just before boiling.

Like water, righteous Spirit beings can also manifest themselves in various ways. A righteous Spirit being can be invisible to the human eye; they can be visible to the human eye–yet, still able to go through physical objects like walls or buildings; and they can be manifested in a form which can be touched and felt, as Christ appeared to His followers after His resurrection. 

What is important for us, as God’s people, is to use and maintain God’s Spirit in the manner pleasing to God. We are told to walk in the Spirit; that is, to be a right and correct example to the world. We are also told to grow in grace and knowledge (2 Peter 3:18). Growing in grace is growing in the Spirit. After an orchard has been well watered, it will produce fruit for the owner in abundance. As we grow in the Spirit, we should produce the fruit of the Spirit, as mentioned in Galatians 5:21-22. This is the outward manifestation of the Spirit of God working in our lives.

As we approach Pentecost–the  Festival when the Holy Spirit was made available to the apostles and followers of Christ–let us ensure that we are manifesting the Spirit of God in our lives through the fruit of the Spirit. In doing so, we are witnessing to the world where God’s Spirit is dwelling and working in this present age–that is, in His true servants.

We can then look forward to the future, when God’s Spirit will be made available to all of mankind and when the fruit of the Spirit will be manifested on a worldwide basis–just like a well-watered orchard produces much fruit for the benefit of the owner and the pleasure of those who partake in the eating.