An interesting phenomenon took place this year, that of democracy at work but not working for many of its adherents. The definition of democracy can be “a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.”

There have been times when a government didn’t get the result they wanted and so they brought out the propaganda machine and waited until they were confident of getting the desired result, or they did deals to make sure that their will prevailed.

In Denmark, a second referendum was held after voters rejected the Maastricht Treaty.  A deal was done giving the country an opt-out of the Euro and home and justice affairs, and the second referendum was successful.  In Ireland, a second referendum was held after the original referendum had rejected the Nice Treaty. Again, concessions were made and the second vote passed.  Ireland also had two votes on the Lisbon Treaty.

In a BBC article on June 28^th, it referred to the above examples and said: “In each case, the unanimous approval of EU members had been needed for treaty changes, so the whole process would have stalled if the referendums had not passed.”

The UK, as a whole, voted on being in or out of Europe in the vote on 23rd June 2016, and Brexit was the outcome with 48% voting to stay in and 52% to leave.   Some of the 48% didn’t like the verdict at all and there were street protests and marches.   Democracy hadn’t produced the verdict that they wanted – and expected!   Although it was a binding UK vote, some parts of the UK who voted to stay in the EU thought that they ought to be allowed to remain as before.  In a Daily Express article dated 28th November 2016, headed “This remorseless drive to overturn referendum result”, examples were given of famous British leaders who still hang on to some sort of hope that it was all a big mistake.  It’s amazing what the human mind will come up with in order to get democracy on their own terms.

Then we saw street protests across the USA after Donald Trump was elected as the new President in November 2016.   Democracy was again fine but only so long as the right result was reached and to many across the USA, this hadn’t happened.

Winston Churchill wryly observed: “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.”   So, what form of government is best – perhaps a benevolent dictator?   The definition is: “A benevolent dictatorship is a theoretical form of government in which an authoritarian leader exercises absolute political power over the state but does so for the benefit of the population as a whole.”   But who would be the dictator?   Human nature being what it is, no human being would, or could fit the bill, and so we get back to democracy as at present.

But there is a time coming when Jesus Christ will reign on earth as King of kings and Lord of lords, and He will rule with the best interests of everyone uppermost in his mind.   He will execute justice and usher in the Millennium (See Isaiah 11:1-5).   At that time, there will be some initial teething problems but as soon as earth’s inhabitants realise it is for the best for everyone alive, then resistance will cease and democracy will be forgotten, as the perfect form of government—true Theocracy—will be enjoyed for 1,000 years.

It shouldn’t be too long now!

Persistence tends to pay off. By continuing to work tirelessly on a goal, great or small, progress will be made towards its successful outcome. Even if the progress is incremental, it still counts. I like to say, “If you push hard enough in the same direction, you eventually move that way.” The Bible establishes the same principle, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty” (Proverbs 21:5). Careers have been reinvented, addictions have been beaten, fortunes have been made, and most importantly, sins have been overcome by applying persistence. In the most challenging of circumstances, it is encouraging to know that when we continue to apply our efforts on a focused goal, we have some direct influence on obtaining the outcome we seek.

So then, if we set goals – great or small – and if we can influence progress towards the successful outcome with a persistent effort, it is clearly important to start by setting the right goals! We cannot be tricked into seeking goals that might seem virtuous and good, but are actually void of true value. These kinds of goals are fools’ gold. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 6:21 that “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” This offers us a good starting point to test the goals that we have in our lives. Is the fulfillment of our goals measured by worldly means or spiritual? While there is nothing inherently wrong with seeking personal achievement in the world, these goals must not overshadow our spiritual achievements. As 1 John 2:15-17 proclaims, seeking worldly goals is temporary and if we have love for these accomplishments, we are misdirected. We need to love the goals that have an eternal and holy result. These are the kinds of goals that are worth our time.

We don’t have to look very far to find an example of a specific goal that fits this profile. Matthew 6:33 clearly and succinctly instructs us, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness….” It is an oft-cited Scripture because it is central to the life of a Christian. Yet, it can be challenging to comprehend the practical meaning. Certainly, the act of seeking the Kingdom of God involves more than paying lip service, and therefore requires that we put some real work behind it. Is the time and effort that we spend in our lives bringing us closer to inheriting the Kingdom of God? It is our job to find ways to respond to this question with an affirmative answer.

The best way to begin making progress towards seeking the Kingdom of God, and to continue once we have started, is to actively work on overcoming sin (compare Colossians 3:1-7). Doing this involves building our understanding of obedience, thereby continuing to learn and grow in righteousness. And, once we deepen our understanding of obedience, we are obliged to change our behavior accordingly. In addition, participating in the Work of God is important as well. Towards the end of Paul’s ministry when he was under house-arrest, he acknowledges and thanks several individuals by name, calling them “fellow workers for the kingdom of God” (Colossians 4:11). These individuals assisted Paul in his work, ministering to Christians in far-reaching corners of the world. In order to actively seek the Kingdom of God, we need to work on overcoming our sins, but also commit ourselves to the Work of the Church of God, whose commission is to preach the gospel to the world as a witness.

Our life’s work will find a successful outcome if we actively put a genuine effort behind targeted goals. However, we must choose our goals very carefully. If we choose a worldly goal, we may very well achieve it, but fail to find eternal life. By setting our sights on things above with a spiritual outcome and actively working at it, our success will be eternal.

The “Eurozone crisis” is back in the news. After “Brexit,” a new expression was coined, namely “Itexit.” In fact, others refer to “Grexit” and “Spexit.” They mean thereby that countries such as Italy, Greece or Spain might exit the Eurozone or even the EU.

Now, economic “experts” seem to be convinced that “Itexit” (Italy’s exit from the Eurozone) is a strong possibility.

The Financial Times wrote on November 20:

“After Brexit and Donald Trump, prepare for the return of the Eurozone crisis. If Matteo Renzi, Italian prime minister, loses his constitutional referendum on December 4, I would expect a sequence of events that would raise questions of Italy’s participation in the Eurozone.”

The Telegraph wrote on November 27:

“Italy needs reform and a euro exit is inevitable.”

But how probable is it that Italy will leave the Eurozone and replace the euro with its former national currency, the lira? Der Spiegel wrote on November 27 that an exit from the Eurozone would lead to a dramatic crisis situation in Italy, as inflation would increase; nobody would come to Italy’s rescue (the European Central Bank would be prohibited from helping Italy); and Italy’s astronomical national debt (which is calculated in euros) would still have to be repaid.

There have been voices in the past prognosticating all kinds of fanciful results. They declared forcefully that the euro would fail; that the Eurozone would disintegrate; that the member states would return to their former national currencies; and that the European project was dead. On the other hand, many felt that there would be no Brexit.

As it turned out, they have all been wrong. While current and future political and economic developments might have been miscalculated or misunderstood, the reason why all these speculations have failed is that biblical prophecy had been ignored.

With the same bold certainty with which we proclaimed that the euro will NOT fail; that the Eurozone will NOT disintegrate; that the European project is NOT over; but that there WOULD BE a Brexit; we are stating with the same conviction that Italy will NOT exit the Eurozone, let alone the EU.

The Bible makes it VERY clear that Italy will remain as one of the LEADING nations in the European project—not necessarily from a political or economic standpoint, but surely from an historical and RELIGIOUS standpoint. In fact, the whole European unification project is founded on the Treaty of Rome. The Bible shows that ten nations or groups of nations will emerge in Europe (and to be more precise, from the Eurozone), and Germany and Italy will certainly be among those nations. They will give their power to a charismatic political and military leader who will work hand in hand with a religious leader. The Bible speaks of modern Babylon—a European political, economic and military union under Roman Catholic rule. It identifies Babylon as the city built on seven hills, which reigns over the kings of the earth.

At this point, the Eurozone consists of 19 members. This will change. Politico wrote on October 6: “Nobel-prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz believes Italy and several other countries could leave the Eurozone within years… ‘There will still be a Eurozone in 10 years, but the question is, what will it look like? It’s very unlikely that it will still have 19 members. It’s difficult to say who will still belong,’ Stiglitz said in an interview with German newspaper Die Welt.”

While Mr. Stiglitz—as so many other “experts”—is clearly wrong insofar as Italy is concerned, he IS correct that the Eurozone will decrease in numbers, and even though we do not know for sure “who will still belong,” we DO know that Italy “WILL still belong.”

Our free booklet, “The Ten European Revivals of the Ancient Roman Empire” tells you why.

The U.S. is splintering deeper into isolated and contentious sides of moral and political ideologies.  Paul spoke to Timothy about this age and the characteristics of its people, “but know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be … boasters, proud…without self-control…despisers of good…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…” (2 Timothy 3:1-4). We are being torn apart as a country, not from invading forces but from within—by our own hands.  The reason is simple: man has disavowed God.

This inclination was understood by our founding fathers. Abraham Lincoln stated in his Lyceum Address “…At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer. If it ever reach us it must spring up amongst us; it cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide.”

While we can quickly point to a nation falling apart after generations of spiritual decay, we must also test our own foundations—seeking to continuously shore up our spiritual walls against the constant battering of Satan. We live in an age of spiritual darkness like none other.  We are, by God’s Will, set apart to shine in this blackness as “children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom [we] shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).

Mankind has pushed God away and has become blinded by Satan, “whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Our only hope of trudging through this darkness is by “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” (Hebrews 12:2). Only by our own weakness will we fail, and only by our reliance on Jesus Christ will we succeed.

In the coming days, months and even years, we will continue to hear about the current leadership in this country that has been put into place, and we will see how the world will be affected by it.  Currently, there is a lot of anger, frustration, disappointment, concern and shock being heard and felt across the globe due to Mr. Trump being elected President.  What the vast majority of people in this world fail to realize is that it HAD to be this way.  It made no difference when it came to voting for a specific candidate, because God saw to it whom He would place into office; and He did that for a specific reason.  Daniel 2:21 states, “He changes the times and the seasons: He removes kings, and raises up kings: He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.” It is clear from Scripture that God is in charge.  It is also clear that we have been given the knowledge to understand that God is in charge and anyone who votes for a specific political candidate, no matter what the reason may be to justify why he or she voted, clearly then DOES NOT understand God’s purpose.  It is not for us to decide who goes into office.

At the same time, Satan the Devil, who is the god of this world, also did his part in making sure that the next president would be the one who could cause more chaos and destruction in this world.  Satan currently is satisfied because he wants nothing more than to see mankind suffer (1 Peter 5:8).  He is very tricky and cunning, like a thief who comes “to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10).  This is exactly why we need to be careful at ALL times and not get caught up in the politics of the world by voting, for example, thinking that we are thereby speeding up the process or trying to make this a better world or helping our country to become more prosperous.  See how Satan works who deceives the whole world?

So then, the question is, who is the real winner? It isn’t Mr. Trump because he doesn’t realize why he has been put into office, since it was God’s doing for the purpose of fulfilling prophecy, and Mr. Trump can very likely speed things up towards the Great Tribulation and the return of Jesus Christ.

It also isn’t Satan because he knows that he has a short time left insofar as prophecy is concerned (Revelation 12:10), since these things have to take place before he is defeated.

So the real winner here would be WE, the True Church, along with God the Father and Jesus Christ.  We need to understand what the purpose for all this is.  Should we be surprised that Mr. Trump has been elected as the next President?  What does the Bible say about the future for this nation, the modern house of Israel? (Compare Ezekiel 6:6; 7:19; Jeremiah 30:10; Amos 7:17).

Prophecy is indeed unfolding before our eyes, if we have eyes to see (Revelation 19:10; John 16:13; Matthew 24:32-33; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6); and we are eagerly waiting for the climax (Romans 8:23-25) because when we “see these things happening, [we] know that the kingdom of God is near” (Luke 21:31).

Donald Trump has been chosen as the 45th President of the United States. He is a successful business man with no political experience who considers himself an outsider.  He built up a fortune of some nine plus billion dollars and promises to make  America great again.

There is so much corruption in politics that it is difficult to sort everything out and get an accurate evaluation of what is really going on. The one thing we know for sure is that Mr. Trump will not make America great, because the problems are insurmountable.

To put an end to the madness, the only real solution to making America great, and every nation on the face of the earth, is the return of Jesus Christ.

We have just gotten back from the Feast of Tabernacles which pictures a world of true peace and harmony, being ruled by the incorruptible Family of God. The sons and daughters of God, under Christ, will not be subject to political pressures, bribes and corruption, but they will govern with equity and fairness, something this world has never seen.

We, as God’s Church, have the responsibility to get this message out to the world. It has to get done so that Christ can return, and it will get done. Matthew 24:14 says: “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

The question we need to ask ourselves is this: Are we a part of the process of fulfilling this God-given commission which will, in due time, make the whole world great again, not just America?

There is a programme on Sunday mornings on BBC television in the UK where weekly debates are conducted about moral, ethical and religious issues. In May 2016 the issue debated was entitled “Did Man Create God?” My first reaction was “here we go again” but, on reflection, I thought that in every case except the worship of the true God, man did indeed create the god or gods that he now worships.

We know that there is “no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12) and that this applies only to Jesus Christ. Further, we also know from the Bible that the Holy Spirit which God has given to those who obey Him is a condition of being a called-out member of the Family of God.

The true Church of God knows and understands that there is only one God and that there are conditions that apply to being a member of the Church that Jesus founded.   We also know that there will be those from other religions who will see our understanding as being “exclusive” and even within mainstream Christianity they can also take the same view about Church of God “exclusivity”.

But we are not exclusivists in the way that the world would understand. Jesus made it abundantly clear that there is only one way and that is the narrow way and there are few who find it (Matthew 7:14). So it is not exclusivist to make the assertions that we do, but just a reflection of the knowledge that God has given us through a correct understanding of His Word.

If you think about it, man did create god or gods in his own foolish imaginations. We read in Romans 1:21-23: “…because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.”  This clearly shows that man has created “gods” and worships them accordingly.

We know that the ancient Egyptians worshipped all manner of created beings with a myriad of so called “gods” that had nothing to do with the true God. Down through the ages, man has created a god or gods and ignored the true God. Of course, many have never even heard of the true God because of the societies in which they live but we are privileged to know that they will be given their opportunity to know the true God at a later time.

When we see all of the gods of other religions today, we can get an understanding of the way that Satan works as he counterfeits religion and makes paganism seem another way that leads to God but we have been given the understanding that this is not acceptable to the true God.

In this programme with a carefully selected audience which included religious people, philosophers, scientists and others, we were exposed to false religionists pontificating about their brand of religion which we know from the Bible is truly false. In addition, there was a female rabbi and a female vicar. The latter stated that she knew the New Testament but not so much the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) but, from what she said, she didn’t even know the New Testament that well; otherwise, she wouldn’t be a part of the ministry! A Muslim from a Muslim think tank and someone representing Hinduism gave their insights, not realising that their brand of religion was in fact man creating god or gods, a principle not acceptable to the true God.

The ancient nation of Israel was told to “love the LORD your God, with all your heart, with all your soul (being) and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5) and we know that God is a “jealous God” (Exodus 20:5) which is mentioned as part of the second commandment. Jealous means that God is intolerant of unfaithfulness.   As one commentator put it: “Jealousy is a sin when it is a desire for something that does not belong to you. Worship, praise, honour, and adoration belong to God alone, for only He is truly worthy of it. Therefore, God is rightly jealous when worship, praise, honour, or adoration is given to idols. This is precisely the jealousy the apostle Paul described in 2 Corinthians 11:2, “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy…”

Did man create God? No, he didn’t create the true God, of course, but all of the other gods have indeed been created by man. We have just been privileged to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day which gives us such invaluable understanding of the Way of the true God and His master plan for all of humanity.

It is quite sobering to think how far man is from the knowledge of the one true God but that will be rectified during the Millennium and the Great White Throne Judgment when everyone who has not been called until that time will then be given their opportunity to worship the true Creator. Then there will not be the need for such a discussion; just happiness and joy that the one true God is in charge and that mankind has been given the opportunity to share eternity with Him.

One of the key statements in the Bible is the need for man to bring glory and honor to God.

In fact, God says that He created us for His glory. We read in Isaiah 43:5-7 that God’s people are called and created for the purpose of glorifying God. Continuing in Isaiah 66:18-19, we see that ALL nations will be learning about God’s glory, and that the nations of Israel will in fact declare God’s glory.

Many will be asking at that time why they should worship and glorify God. When Moses asked Pharaoh to let Israel go, Pharaoh’s answer was “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go?” (Exodus 5:2). And so, an answer must be given in this regard. A prime answer can be found in 1 Chronicles 16:23-36, which helps to show that God’s great might and power are to be talked about and sung about, and that we should worship Him on the Sabbath and the annual Holy Days in holy array. There is no end to the greatness of God. Revelation 15:4 shows that when God’s righteousness is revealed to all nations, they will give glory to God.

Christ noted many times His affinity and love for God in His obedience to God. In this way, He showed glory to God (John 17:4). And by extension, He has shown us that we too, as Christians, must be bringing glory to God. Our good actions and deeds, being founded on God and His Word, can actually influence others to acknowledge and even give glory to God. But the opposite can also be true: We can actually cause God’s name to be blasphemed and dishonored if we are not mindful of our ways (Romans 2:22-24).

We should be constantly aware that we can have a positive or a negative effect on others. Romans 11:33-36 shows that God’s all-powerful presence should be a corner stone for our faith.

We should have confidence in our ways and let people see this (Matthew 5:16). This is how we are to show God that we really glorify Him, in growing abundantly in the fruit of the Spirit. John 15:8 states that this is how we prove that we actually are Christ’s true disciples. We must do everything to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31), so that we ourselves know that we are being approved (Romans 14:18; Philippians 1:9-11; 2 Timothy 2:15).

As we are preparing for the Feast of Tabernacles, let us take this thought to heart and really strive to understand just how we can glorify God during this appointed time, and how we can let our lights shine to this darkening world. It is a must if we want to make it into the Kingdom of God, which we will be picturing in the upcoming days.

The recent disclosure of Donald Trump’s tax records have rattled a hornet’s nest of opinions in the media, demonstrating, once again, just how far man has separated himself from God.

While our nation grumbles over how much Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have paid in taxes, one glaring point is lost: to our knowledge, most of the citizens have failed to acknowledge God through tithing!

Paul warned, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Galatians 6:7-8).

God warned ancient Israel of the consequences of rejecting His leadership and instead desiring a King to rule over them. He warned the people that the King would demand payment of high taxes, but this would not abolish the duty of the people to pay God’s tithe. Today, we are still living under those consequences which God articulated to Samuel, “but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them” (1 Samuel 8:7).

The requirement of tithing has never changed. Man is still obliged to give to God His portion. Malachi makes a comparison when we reject this command, “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation” (Malachi 3:8-9).

In addition, God requires more than just the mere act of tithing. As the Pharisees were sorting out their tithe, making sure to give no more or no less than required, He chastised them for their lack of understanding, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!” (Matthew 23:23-24).

For those that do joyfully and properly tithe with the right attitude, Malachi continues, “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10).

God desires the very best for us. All we have to give up is our greed—a task insurmountable for many in this world today. Rejoice that we are so blessed to understand and take part in tithing to God.

A campaign called, “National Back To Church Sunday,” was recently promoted in the U.S. with the goal of inviting people back to church again. Another appeal regularly seen in the media is, “attend the church of your choice.”

While some might respond to these slogans, their actions would not improve their relationship with God, for their whole premise is founded on falsehood (compare Matthew 7:21-23). For the people who have truly been called by God and then have engaged themselves in compromise, there is a much more definitive and somber rallying cry given to members of the Church of God.

Jude puts it this way:

“Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (verse 3).

Jude’s letter was written in the later decades of the first generation of the Church of God—a time of wholesale apostasy.

Jesus addressed those who had left their first love; who suffered great persecution; who embraced vile doctrines; who were letting the truth of God die; who had only a little strength; and who, filled with self-righteousness, had lost their zeal for obeying God. These warnings are found in Revelation, chapters 2 and 3, and all members of the Church of God are responsible to heed His admonitions.

Paul was inspired to address the way the truth of God would be rejected in our time—the “last days”:

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

Do you embrace sound doctrines which can be clearly proven from the Word of God? When you listen to sermonettes or sermons, read booklets and articles, fellowship with brethren—is it all based on the doctrines of truth, those only found in the Bible? Or do you harbor a private interpretation—a pet theory which the Church of God does not teach?

With this Update, we are presenting the fifth and final installment of a series, “How Are We to Keep the Sabbath?” Just as Jude did, so are we “exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”

Knowledge of the weekly Sabbath and annual Holy Days must not be taken for granted—they ARE part of the faith. Keeping them as God has commanded IS sound doctrine, and if you aren’t, if you have become lax and permissive, don’t close your eyes and ears to God’s counsel:

“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?–unless indeed you are disqualified” (2 Corinthians 13:5).