We read in 1 Corinthians 13:13 where the apostle Paul stated that there are three important things in life, faith, hope and love. Of course, as he said, the greatest of these is love.

Of the three, hope is mentioned in God’s Word significantly less often than either faith or love. So how important is hope?

Hope is not wishful thinking, like hoping a rich relative will die and leave us a fortune. That is more correctly termed inappropriate desire rather than godly hope. But real hope is mentioned in Hebrews 11:1 in this way: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” And this hope is extremely important to us.

In the book of Job, while he was suffering great affliction, Job felt he was without hope. He believed that God was destroying him for no reason. Yet even in his time of great despair, he realised that after his death, God would call him and he would answer, that God would desire the work of His hands (Job 14:14-15). This shows that even while he felt hopeless in his physical life, he knew there was hope for him in the resurrection.

In the book of Psalms, there are many mentions of hope by David and other writers—hope in God, in His mercy and judgements, in His Word and salvation. Their lives were based around that hope.

In the 37th chapter of Ezekiel, God states that the bones, representing the whole house of Israel, figuratively say, “Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off.” And yet, God shows there was hope for them as He will open their graves and they will live, and He will also put His Spirit in them. He would also bring them into the land of Israel (Verses 11-14). Their hope was not lost even though that was their belief.

There are many other prophecies where God gives hope to the houses of Israel and Judah, to bring them back from their captivity to their former homeland. One specifically to the house of Judah during their time in captivity in Babylon is in Jeremiah 29:11-14. God thought to give the house of Judah a future and a hope and to bring them back to their own land.

The apostle Paul is an outstanding New Testament example of hope. At the beginning of his calling, God explained what his commission would be, but He also showed him, “how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake” (Acts 9:15-16). At the very beginning of his calling, Paul (he was then known as Saul) was made aware his life was not going to be easy.

Here are some instances of the trials and the reason Paul endured them. When he was standing before the council after declaring that he was going to preach to the Gentiles, his defence was, “concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!” (Acts 23:6). Again, in Acts 24:15, Paul’s hope was in the resurrection of the dead.

In many of his epistles, he taught the resurrection of Christians to glory, the glory of God (Romans 5:2). He also taught that, “we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:7). See also Titus 1:2.

Paul gives a long discussion of the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15. Some were saying there is no resurrection. If this was true, then all who have died in Christ have perished. They have no hope. He goes on to say, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable” (Verse 19). Also he says, “If the dead do not rise, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!’” (Verse 32).

He points out earlier in this chapter, if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not risen. But since there had been hundreds of witnesses to Christ’s life after His resurrection, including Paul himself, then he knew the resurrection was indeed a fact.

This hope was what enabled Paul to be willing to go through all the sufferings he experienced. 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 gives a listing of some of the things he suffered, finally leading up to his death as a faithful witness.

In what many believe to be his final epistle (his second letter to Timothy), he sums up his life in God’s service.  He mentions many who had left the church (2 Timothy 1:15), and that, in the future, others would be turned aside to fables (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

Because he knew he was soon to be put to death, he stated, “The time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 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” (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

This was his belief, that his faith in God and Christ gave him his personal hope of eternal life. And this hope enabled him to carry out his part in the Work of God, no matter what trials and sufferings he experienced. He saw the wonderful reward that was awaiting him and others who also believed.

There are a number of other prophecies in God’s Word of many being offended and falling away from God’s Truth, especially at the end times. Because of this, we should follow the apostle Paul’s example of having unwavering hope that will enable us to continue to do our part in God’s Work, finish our race and achieve salvation and eternal life.

Hope is extremely important for us, for without it we could easily give up. But with it we can indeed endure to the end and receive our glorious resurrection.

Driving into my neighborhood recently, I noticed the glow of strung-up lights on several houses.  I thought these were early for Christmas but the colors and décor were instead designed to celebrate Halloween.  Decorations like these are a growing trend that undoubtedly will result in the same fervor as Christmas receives today.

Spending on this holiday is increasing with a disturbing pace.  In a recent article on CNN they state the following numbers: “More than 175 million Americans will celebrate Halloween this year, with seven out of ten consumers planning to hand out candy. Total spending in 2018 will reach $9 billion, with the average consumer planning to spend $86.79 on decorations, candy, costumes and more” (cnn.com, October 18, 2018).

What is truly alarming, and revealing of the direction our country is heading, are the number of professing Christians embracing this festival.  One local church in my neighborhood has annual trick or treat gatherings in our common area.  And their church is by no means alone.  That same CNN article gives a brief history of this festival stating, “Halloween comes from an ancient pagan festival celebrated by Celtic people over 2,000 years ago called Samhain.”

Carnally based traditions have been the bane of God’s people since we were created.  A few Christian-professing friends reminisced recently about their childhood Halloween experiences and how much joy their children find in it today.  And yet they ignore the very words of Christ concerning man-made traditions.  “He answered and said to them, ‘Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?’” (Matthew 15:3).  Man is being cheated out of an everlasting future in lieu of shiny bobbles that Satan so cleverly hands out. Paul faced this same attitude during his ministry: “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8).

The true devastation being heaped up on mankind is with the adulteration of children.  The Devil knows exactly how to draw man away from God.  Satan starts young and builds a lasting foundation.  Is it coincidence that the major Satanic holidays like Easter, Christmas and Halloween are directed towards children?  God told His servants, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).  Failure to follow this simple advice, especially with our young, is what necessitates the impending judgement on this world.

Having a child-like attitude is required by Christ.  “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). The snares of the Devil are plentiful and enticing.  But they grow dim and meaningless to a child-like heart humbled by God’s Spirit.

One evening, on television some time ago, I saw a brief discussion about the scent detecting cells in dogs and cats. As a dog lover it has always amused me to see the amount of sniffing a dog does when it is taken for a walk.

Dogs can possess up to 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses (depending on their size and breed), compared to about six million in us. And the part of a dog’s brain that is devoted to analyzing smells is, proportionally speaking, 40 times greater than ours.

On the website dummies, it states under the heading “Your dog’s unique nose” the following: “Your dog’s nose has a pattern of ridges and dimples that, in combination with the outline of its nostril openings, make up a nose print believed to be as individual and unique as a human being’s fingerprints. Companies even register nose prints as a way of identifying and helping to locate lost or stolen dogs, a system that is now being used by kennel clubs around the world.”

To think that the small nose of even a small dog can have well over 100 million scent-detecting receptors is a fact that is hard to take in. Whenever I see such amazing facts, I reflect on how stupid and ridiculous the theory of evolution is.

On the website livescience, we read: “Life on Earth first bloomed around 3.7 billion years ago, when chemical compounds in a ‘primordial soup’ somehow sparked into life, scientists suspect. But what turned sterile molecules into living, changing organisms? That’s the ultimate mystery. By studying the evolution of not just life, but life’s building blocks as well, researchers hope to come closer to the answer.”

Did you catch the words “somehow” and “scientists suspect” and “researchers hope to come closer to the answer”? Hardly a definitive response! In respect to the dog’s nose, how do they expect intelligent and rational human beings to believe that a primordial soup (without any direction or intelligence) managed to educate or transform itself from organisms over some 3.7 million years into having the ability to produce a dog with hundreds of thousands of scent detecting receptors in its nose? If you believe that, you are capable of believing that the moon is made of green cheese with a pig flying over it!

You really do have to be kidding! And yet, there are multiple millions of adherents to this nonsense and, by comparison, very few who understand and believe the biblical truth. If anyone had any doubt about the wiles, cunning and ability of Satan the devil, then this should help them to re-evaluate their position.

Over the years, the Church of God has produced many booklets and articles about the nonsensical theory of evilution (that’s how it should really be spelled if it is to reflect precisely what it is) to countless millions of people. Please remember that, not that long ago, we had a magazine that, at its zenith, had a monthly print run of over 8 million copies. How many millions, or even hundreds of millions will have read articles about this nonsensical concept? We have a booklet “The Theory of Evolution – A Fairy Tale for Adults?,” which is an excellent exposition on this subject.

A dog’s nose is yet another example (and there are so many others) of the existence of a superior Being who created all things – and not through any primordial soup or any evolutionary theoretical stupidity.

Remember the dog’s nose!

Have we ever been late to an event by not getting there on time and were not able to get in due to their “door closing” policy at a specific time?  How did that make us feel? Especially when we thought we had prepared ourselves, giving ourselves enough time? Perhaps we were careless with our time, and something along the way became a distraction, causing us to get there “late” and were then prohibited to get inside.  It’s a frustrating feeling and thoughts of what we should have done differently may enter our minds, even though we were aware of the rules stating that we must plan and prepare accordingly and those who were not “on time” would be unable to enter.

Christ spoke about ten virgins, but only the five wise virgins were allowed to enter the wedding. The five foolish virgins were not prepared and ready. And when they finally arrived, the doors were closed.

Or, did we ever experience a situation when we were invited to a special occasion and refused to attend, even though we should have been there, or when we attended, only to find out that we were not prepared for the same? Christ delivered a similar message in Matthew 22 in a parable of the wedding feast where several who were invited to the wedding by the king were unwilling to come. And so the king sent out servants again to remind those who were invited: “‘See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.’ But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business (verse 4).”

These were guests who were “called” to the wedding. They had some knowledge of the Truth and God’s Way of Life and they had a choice to make, to be at the wedding. The king tried two times to invite them to the wedding and since they didn’t want to come, he stated in verse 8 that “those who were invited were not worthy.” The servants went out and invited others to come to the wedding and they responded.

But one person came for an improper purpose and with dishonest motives, even though he knew better. We read in verse 11, “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

Here was someone who didn’t respond in the way that God expected but rather was untruthful and rebellious. God dealt with this person severely. There are many examples in the Bible of people who were rebellious to God’s Law, who knew His Law at first but then decided to take matters into their own hands, thereby forgetting about God (1 Samuel 15:23; Romans 13:2; Isaiah 1:19-20).

The Bible contains many warnings for TRUE Christians today.  If we have been called out of this world, responded and made the commitment to live God’s Way of Life FOREVER by CHOOSING to become baptized, then we must understand the absolute importance and responsibility that we have to live righteously or we will lose our crown to eternal life (Revelation 3:11).

The time will come when many will proclaim to Christ that they “knew” Him, “knew” about God’s Way of Life, yet they deceived themselves or they weren’t dedicated enough to LIVE that Way and DO what He commanded on a CONTINUOUS basis.  And Christ will respond, “I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Matthew 7:23). It is for LIFE and we say it over and over again: Be Prepared NOW before it’s too late!

The Feast of Tabernacles is a time of great joy for us in God’s Church since for some of us who are scattered it is the one and only opportunity within a year to fellowship personally with God’s people. We renew old friendships, make new ones and with the spiritual food we receive, we continue to grow in grace and knowledge which is crucial for our walk with Christ.

What will it take to make you walk away from the Truth?  In the 70’s a couple we knew left the church because in their minds, prophecy was not being fulfilled fast enough. Even in the time of Christ, there were some who walked away. This seems somewhat incredible in view of the fact they witnessed firsthand all the signs, wonders and miracles which He did.

Let us look at the following example in John 6:48-58, beginning with the words of Christ who said:

”’I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.’

“The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, ‘How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.'”

Note the reaction of many of His disciples, as recorded in John 6:66: “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.”

Notice: “Many” just walked away and abandoned Him. In their minds what He was saying was against laws in the Old Testament. They reasoned: “‘Eating His flesh and drinking His blood’– That’s cannibalism, and we know we are not to eat human flesh and drink blood.”

What they failed to do was to ask for an explanation as to what Christ meant by His statements. He was referring to the new Passover symbols which would be introduced by Him shortly, speaking of eating a piece of unleavened bread and drinking a little bit of wine, to picture His suffering and death. This constituted a radical change from the current practice of sacrificing and eating a Passover lamb.

Why they never questioned Him is a bit of a mystery. They just walked away, rejecting His words. When you hear something from the pulpit which doesn’t seem quite right to you, do you head for the door or do you go and ask the speaker as to what he meant by what he said?

As a speaker, sometimes things don’t come out just right as intended. It is the responsibility of the hearer to ask.

As we head into the winter months which in the northern hemisphere are long and cold, we look forward to springtime and the spring Holy Days. We will face trials and tests, as Christ told us. It is important for us not to get rattled by anything which happens to us, including imagined or real offenses, misunderstandings and illusions of our own minds, but rather, to look to the purpose of our calling and to the reward ahead.

When we face serious trials and tests, just how strong will our commitment be? Will we hold fast or will we walk away?

As we return home from the Feast of Tabernacles, there is always a great let-down, and there is a desire to not have to return to our “normal” lives and our daily work. During the Feast, we spend a great amount of truly refreshing time listening to, studying, meditating and thinking about God’s Word, as well as being with people of like mind and Spirit.

But then we get back into the swing of life and things start again to dull up and tarnish over. We fall back into old habits, we don’t make the efforts that we were making before and during the Feast. And so we may start to lose some of that fire, some of that zeal.

Motivation is not something that we can sustain automatically. Motivation is more than just feeling a certain way, and if we don’t feel that way, then we don’t do it. The word “motivation” is derived from the word “motive,” which means “needs, desires, wants or drives” within individuals. It is the process of stimulating people to action to accomplish the goals they set. If we are not crystal clear on our purpose, our calling, essentially WHY we continue to be Christians, then we WILL be pushed off course.

Newton’s First Law of Motion states that “an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an external force.”  This plays out as true in our Christian lives. If we are not consistently making small steps towards overcoming and changing, then our lives will stay the same, and no amount of Feasts will change that. God has called us out of this world and its ways of thinking and acting. That calling is a massive external force. It catapults us forward. But then there is Satan who is another external force. And IF we are not focused 100% on God—and this has to be a critical and integral part of who we are (our WHY)—then we will be pulled off course. Let us make it personal. Let us ask ourselves: What is our “WHY” for being a Christian? People always worry about the “how” and “what”, and while those are important in defining, they don’t hold a candle to the “why.”

• Why do we make effort in DAILY prayer, Bible Study and Meditation? (Compare Deuteronomy 6:1-9; 11:18-22; Psalm 119:1-176.)
• Why do we observe the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days?
• Why do we call ourselves Christians (meaning, to be as Christ, or Christ-like, and letting Christ live in us)?
• Why do we treat each other with outgoing love and concern, by esteeming others higher than ourselves in every relationship—including, if necessary, laying down our wants, desires and wishes for the betterment of others?
• Why do we do the things that we do? Do we do them out of habit, or because of a conscious, active choice?
• The list of “Why’s” could go on and on… what are some you can think of?

If we don’t have answers, then it is time to start figuring those out. We have to have a “why” for the things that we do and the way that we do them. It has to be continuously and always in the forefront of our minds that we are to become like God—to become God—with Him leading at the helm. Psalm 57:2 says: “I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me.” Let us make sure we are crying out to God and asking for help in all areas of our lives.  Psalm 119:105 continues: “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.” We must dig into God’s Word for wisdom and answers. We must seek God in all our ways and in all things. Hebrews 11:6 states: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

The “Why” is there. It is up to each of us to define it and engrain it into ourselves so that we don’t lose our direction, our hope and our zeal.

There is a profound truth about how people think, and it is summed up in the proverb which states, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).

What motivates our thinking? Are the thoughts which occupy our mind good or evil? The Apostle Paul taught about the kind of thoughts we should have:

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy–meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

This is really, really hard to do! With the constant barrage of shocking atrocities and horrible actions flooding before us, it takes great vigilance to not get caught up in the hatred which so characterizes our generation. It is an individual responsibility to think differently, and we can do so when we look to the example of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:21). This is the great challenge set before us:

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

We must resist thoughts which lead to sin (James 1:14-15). This was what Jesus did, and He is willing and able, as our Savior, to help us (Hebrews 4:15). If we are to be Christians, then we must learn to think as Jesus Christ thinks (Philippians 2:5). And if we are truly Christians, that is, if we have the Holy Spirit of God within us, then we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:16).

To get to the bottom line, our thoughts must be about love (1 Corinthians 16:14)—love for God and love for our neighbor!

Over 30 years ago, the problem of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy began grabbing headlines and shocking the world. From the start, strong rhetoric promised that corrective actions would be taken to stop the abuse. Yet, news continues to emerge of these same problems today. The pattern of covering up problems instead of fixing them seems to continue, and the credibility of claims to adopt “stringent” measures to make correction wanes to nothing. Sadly, whatever has happened in the past three decades to make corrections has been dwarfed by the opposing strength of moral corruption. The evidence of any substantial change taking place is lacking.

The state of affairs regarding this sexual abuse scandal is undoubtedly abominable. Yet, what is less sensational but particularly captivating about the story is that the rhetoric, policies, apologies, and all other efforts to make change have failed to have an effect. This pattern of observing a problem and taking actions to fix it, only to have it persist, is something that most of humanity can relate to. Some problems are very difficult to fix, even if we are able to acknowledge them and judge correctly between right and wrong. Paul famously made the same kind of observation applying it to his own life in Romans 7:15, “For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.” Even when we see a need to change, it can be difficult to do.

At the point in time when Jesus Christ returns to the earth and the Kingdom of God is initially established, it will take time before the hearts, minds, and behavior of all people are corrected. During the early days of Jesus Christ’s established rulership on Earth, there will be Asiatic hordes (written about in Ezekiel 38 and 39) who still will actively rebel and fight against His perfect government. Even when this massive change begins to take place on a global scale, it will still take time for it to take effect. There will be people who will not be convinced of the need to convert at the moment in time when Christ returns, but they will continue to fight. Yes, even when the right path is plainly clear, people have a difficult time changing their ways.

With all of the difficulty involved in making a change for the better, whether on an individual level or as a group, what does it take? Is there something that we can do as converted Christians to reliably influence positive change in our lives; to turn away from sin and live righteously? Fortunately, the answer is, “YES!”

Wherever we have the most difficulty in our lives in turning away from sin and correcting our paths, we will almost certainly find patterns of behavior lurking beneath the surface that tend to lead us to repeat our errors. Old habits, especially bad ones, die hard. However, if we know that a series of our actions leads to results that we do not like, the real source of our problems is exposed. If we are trying to change our lives so we do not repeat the most tenacious of our sins, it can be useful to ask ourselves about the patterns that lead us there.  Once identified, changing the patterns of our behavior can have a tremendous effect in helping ourselves to overcome sin.

Changing how we function in the patterns of our behavior is exactly what the Bible prescribes. “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:5-8). The instruction provided here is to change the pattern of our behavior so that all of our actions are motivated by spiritual goals instead of carnal ones. This simple instruction is within reach for every single Christian who has been truly converted.

The path to overcoming sin requires that we change the way that we live. Even if our will is too weak to overcome our problems directly, with the help of God’s Holy Spirit, we can work on our habits that tend to cause or bring about those problems. Perhaps those habits involve a negative influence of media, other people, or circumstances that we can avoid getting ourselves into. By replacing our bad habits with the good habit of being spiritually motivated, we can, and will, overcome.

As the Fall Holy Days are upon us, many of us find ourselves in unusually stressful situations, experiencing more difficult trials and challenges than usual. These problems might involve health issues; difficulties in marriage or with family members; persecutions at work or in school; threats of termination or failing grades for non-attendance if we celebrate God’s Feast Days; and a myriad of other serious temptations. They all seem to have the goal, in one way or another, to stress us out so that we become disillusioned to the extent that we may not develop the joyful anticipation which we should have in preparation for God’s Holy Days.

None of this is coincidental, of course, and it is most certainly not because of time and chance. Rather, Satan and his wicked army of hateful demons are behind these attacks, as they do not want us to focus on and keep God’s weekly and annual Sabbaths, knowing that they are a sign between God and us which identify us as God’s people. They signify our sanctification and holiness; our future rule in God’s Kingdom; and the replacement of the Devil and his demons. If they can be successful in fooling us to give up our fight for God and His Law and to compromise instead, by not practicing what we must, then they have won, and we have lost our crown. They know, for example, that no one will be in God’s Family who has given up on God’s weekly and annual Holy Days. They know, as we should, that if we love anything or anyone more than Christ, we are not worthy of Him, and He will be ashamed of us at His Coming.

But still, those challenges are never easy to endure. Our human mind focuses with anxiety on a potentially terrible outcome for our loved ones and us, reasoning like this: “What is going to happen if I take time off from work or school in light of drastic threats? Surely, God will understand that I must give in under those circumstances.” However, it is we who must understand that God is stronger and more powerful than the evil spirits which are ruling this rotten world, and that He allows challenges to test us and try us and make us stronger spiritually. At the same time, He IS there to intervene, to help us and to show us the right way out, without compromise, if a temptation or trial would be too difficult for us to handle (1 Corinthians 10:13). But God also knows that we might be much stronger than we may think.

When challenges come through mean-spirited people, we should realize that we are fighting with wicked spirits in high places. Many times, people don’t even know why they are behaving towards us in such a hostile and disapproving manner. Their carnal nature, which is enmity against God and His Law, developed within them because of Satan’s influence. We might become the subjects of contempt by professing “Christians” because they see us stand up for God’s “crazy” rules and these superseded “Old Testament” “Jewish” festivals, while rejecting their beloved Christmas and Easter celebrations. They have no clue as to what the truth is, and do not possess any correct godly comprehension because Satan has blinded them. In most cases, they don’t understand that it is they who reject God and who accept instead ungodly pagan holidays which man adopted under Satan’s inspiration. All the while, we must remember that our spiritual warfare is not with people, but with Satan, the god of this deceived world (Ephesians 6:12-13; Galatians 1:4; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 12:9).

We know of many examples in the Bible when God’s disciples fell into despair. Elijah faced a big problem when Jezebel tried to kill him–he had enough and wanted to die. Jeremiah was also faced with threats on his life, so he complained to God that He could not be relied upon. Job was severely plagued by Satan, but God allowed it, and his response to God was that He treated him unjustly. But in spite of those temporary setbacks and misguided evaluations of their situation, God’s people found renewed strength in God and continued their responsibilities. They knew that the righteous may fall seven times and get up and go on (Proverbs 24:16).

Sometimes, challenges before God’s Feast Days, especially before the Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles, may not be earth-shaking events, but they could just be stressful daily occurrences which we might compare with little rocks or with small bricks. After a while, the accumulation of the rocks has become a huge mountain which appears to be unclimbable, or the bricks, taken together, have become a strong wall which does not let us pass through. This condition can become so frustrating for us that we conclude that it is just too much to handle–the problems are piling up with such speed and regularity that we are feeling stressed out and unable to continue. Paul was being threatened many times with death, but he also spoke about daily challenges, including his deep concern for all the churches (2 Corinthians 11:28). He warned us that “in the last days there will come times of stress” (2 Timothy 3:1, Revised Standard Version).

Dear brethren and friends, Satan is very angry right now. He KNOWS, perhaps better than we do, that his time is short and that God will crush him under our feet shortly (Romans 16:20). He is our enemy and wants to destroy us like a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8). We must resist him, knowing what he has in mind. God will give us renewed strength so that we can mount up with wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31)—rising high above our problems. And viewing our difficult circumstances from a distance that far away, they will appear very small indeed.

We read in Matthew 10:22, after listing a number of warnings of trials: “… But he who endures to the end will be saved.”

Endurance is a very important concept for us living God’s Way. In fact, it is essential. At first thought, endurance may be considered similar to perseverance and yet God gives greater emphasis to endurance than He does to perseverance. In the Bible, perseverance or persevere occurs about 9 times while endure or enduring occurs over 30 times, not counting the over 45 occurrences in italics. When we look at endurance, it certainly includes the element of perseverance but it entails much more.

A definition of perseverance is to continue on, even though there may be difficulties and failures on the way, whereas endurance is more like surviving pain or hardship or opposition.

Matthew 24:9-13 is a very important message for the end-time Church, although it has applied during much of the history of the Church. It shows the importance of enduring:

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended…” Some versions have “fall away” in place of “be offended.” According to Ellicot’s commentary, the reference to “the many” points primarily to “believers in Christ” who found a stumbling block which caused them to be offended. Continuing: “… betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love [agape or godly love that true Christians have] of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”

This passage shows that we may have to endure trials such as tribulation, killing, hatred, deception, offences, betrayal and lawlessness. But it ends on a very positive theme, an absolute promise from God who cannot lie, that the person who endures to the end through all of this shall be saved. “Shall,” in contractual terms, means: It is mandatory, it must happen.

Let us focus on our example, Jesus Christ. In Hebrews 12:2 we read, “… looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

When we look at His life, we find that it required great endurance. His life was threatened a number of times, even from when He was a young child. He had to fight the temptations of Satan. He was accused of blasphemy and even called illegitimate. He was accused of casting out demons by Beelzebub. He went through an illegal trial whose guilty outcome was already predetermined. And to top it off, He was beaten and executed in a manner usually applied to the worst criminals. In those days, it was a shameful thing to be crucified.

So why did He do it? Why did He come to earth and take the form of a human, knowing all this was prophesied to happen to Him? As we just read, it was for the joy that was set before Him. The joy of making possible that many brethren would join the God Family. He and His Father knew that this was the only way possible, and the outcome was so wonderful that no trial was too much for Him to achieve this outcome.

So how does this apply to us? We also have to endure many trials in life. But the outcome is stated in Psalm 16:11: “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures evermore.” There is a wonderful life set out before us if we endure. Nothing could be more worthwhile.

God certainly offers us help and He gives us a promise in Romans 8:38-39: “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

We have God’s promise of help. We read what the apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” We can also have faith in God who shows no partiality, that we can endure to the end through Christ who strengthens us.