Now that the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread are behind us, do we look forward to what we have ahead of us? We should however not forget what the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread symbolize; rather, we should continue to apply the significance of these special days in our lives, as we do every year.  We may go through an “up and down moment,”  moments of a “spiritual high” right before and during that time when we are excited and full of joy, but what about shortly thereafter?  Do we carry on the excitement we just shared or does it soon drift away in the coming days, now that the Days of Unleavened Bread are over, or at least until Pentecost and the Fall Holy Day season approaches?  What do we do in the meantime?  How do we react and take control of our feelings?

Distractions come in many forms, and they prevent us from focusing on the things we need to concentrate on, and if not controlled, they can lead us to defeat. Now that we are back “in the world,” we will once again be confronted with distractions to side-track us and our spiritual thinking. Satan who is always out there tries to make it difficult for us, and we also know that God is there to help us overcome Satan’s attempts to bring us down.  God allows distractions in our lives, which are trials that we go through, and they are necessary for our success.  We are not being tested for the purpose of failing, but with the expectation of success:  “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7).

Our self-examination does not only occur once a year, but it should be a daily task.  Our self-examination should determine that we are on the right track; that Christ DOES in fact live in us, each and every day.  “And if, during the examination, a Christian finds that he is lacking in some aspects, he needs to REPENT of that; he needs to ask God for forgiveness; he needs to resolve and make an effort to do better; and, at the same time, he needs to understand that with God’s help, he can, and must, and will do better“ (Quoted from our free booklet, “The Meaning of God’s Spring Holy Days”).

Those of us who have been called out of this world and who live by the law of God and observe His commanded Sabbaths and Holy Days, can thereby expect trials of every caliber to impact us in some way, especially right before and after the Holy Day seasons.  God allows us to go through various tests, not for the purpose of imperfection, but to bring us closer to perfection.

We can expect trials to continue, especially with all the distractions this world is throwing at us. We are being tested on the very things that we struggle with the most, and God is looking at US to see how we will react; how we will “handle” the situation.  We will fail from time to time, especially during initial stages of a trial. In recognizing our own actions when going through a trial, we are thereby examining ourselves and accepting the fact that we MUST do better, if we want to be counted worthy.

The suffering we are going through is a beneficial part of God’s plan: “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10, English Standard Version).  We should not feel defeated the moment a trial sets in, for God says that “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).  If we believe this, then we will be able to take control by conquering our trials and fulfilling God’s purpose for us.

In a world full of distractions and endless ways to spend our time and energy, how do we use the time that we have each day? And even more importantly, how do we feel at the end of a day? Do we find ourselves fulfilled from ALL of our engagements? We touch so many people throughout a single day that we don’t always realize how we are impacting others. Colossians 3:23-24 points out that whatever we are doing, we are to do it “heartily” or with our entire heart. We are to be pouring out ourselves into what we do. And the amazing thing is that if we are doing this, God gives us the knowledge and understanding that we need to accomplish our tasks. But the important caveat is that we do it with our entire heart. If we half-heartedly approach every day, our jobs, people, anything really, how can we be fulfilled? How can we fill up others if we are half-hearted? How can we serve joyfully? Ephesians 6:6-8 admonishes us to serve “from the heart”—with good will. There is no room for back-biting, hate, ill-will, or anything negative.

How hard is it though to not complain when things go wrong? When we think that things should be different than what they are? When we think we are being treated unfairly or unkindly? How do we react? We would do better to keep in mind the words Solomon wrote down for us in Ecclesiastes 7:20-22. We must be careful with the attitudes and the thoughts that we allow ourselves to have. We must come to rely on God more and more for wisdom and understanding in ALL matters.

James 4:7-9 gives us the right ideas in this regard. We need to be submitting ourselves to God to fully understand how we can fulfill our days in the right ways. In verses 13-17, James goes on to admonish us that in the scheme of things, our lives are over so quickly. All our strivings and goals are in vain if they are not rightly ordained by God. He indeed sets our courses. When we go wrong and need adjustment, He makes corrections, as long as we are willing to accept them and get back on the right track.

So let us ask ourselves these questions:

How fulfilled do we find ourselves at the end of each day?

How willing are we to seek God and allow Him to lead?

As we approach the Passover, what can we take away from this short time we have left in examining ourselves? Ephesians 5:16 tells us that we should be “redeeming the time” by making the BEST use of our time, “because the days are evil.”

David had the right approach in Psalm 127:2. Even though our work may be heavy and burdensome, when we do it with God’s Will in mind, seeking what He wants, then we can go to bed at the end of the day and feel fulfilled because God will give us good rest. And He will recharge us for our continual fight each and every day. Psalm 90:12 says: “So teach us to number our days That we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Let us allow Godly wisdom and understanding fill us up each day so that we may feel fulfilled and others may see that and be encouraged to follow our example.

We often see children skipping as they play and move about.  This lightly jumping movement is an outward sign of joyfulness and exuberance in children and an action rarely seen in adults.  An adult not skipping has much to do with the limitations of an aging body or even the stigma of it being childish.  But, the same enthusiasm that drives children to skip is necessary for a Christian.  As adults, we must be joyous if we are to become part of God’s Family.

In the book of Psalms we get a picture of a servant of God whose heart was full of joy for God.  David exemplified this attitude in song, “Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises” (Psalm 98:4).  He also entreated those who know God to live and breathe with this same attitude, “Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous; And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” (Psalm 32:11). Because, as David was well aware, God’s Character is the essence of joyfulness, “Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!  They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance” (Psalm 89:15).

Why is this world so quickly falling into ruin?  Because joyfulness of the Truth has been replaced by satisfaction in lies.  Happiness is false and fleeting at best, if man seeks it without God.  The true joy of God, manifest in the brightness of His chosen people (see Matthew 5:16), holds back the darkness of Satan’s deceit. “Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you” (Deuteronomy 28:47-48).

The gauntlet is before our feet!  If we refuse to take it up, the light within us will extinguish.  As God’s people, we must stay committed to shining our lights with ever increasing brightness, especially as the world around us grows darker.  We must, as Paul stated to the Church at Philippi, “…become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ…” (Philippians 2:15-16).

At his greatest times, King David cared little for the cares of this world. He focused intently on the Joy found in serving the Eternal.  “Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, ‘How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!’ So David said to Michal, ‘It was before the LORD, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the LORD’” (2 Samuel 6:20-21).  As we examine our hearts during this Passover season, let’s not forget the joy we felt as new babes in Christ.  It’s that excitement for God’s Truth that will enable us to finish this race.

The Church of God transcends the lifetimes of those called into it. Since the very beginning, God has chosen people for membership in what the Bible identifies as the “body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 4:12).

Have you ever stopped to think about all those who will be among the firstborn in the Kingdom of God—with whom we now stand (compare Hebrews 11:39-40)?

When we consider those who are our brethren, we tend to think in terms of those who are alive within our immediate fellowship. Yet, we are among generations of faithful men and women who form the Church of God.

Being in the Church of God has great implications for us, for we have been imbued with the Holy Spirit of God, and that makes us part of the Family of God:

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of [sonship] by [which] we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit [itself] bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Romans 8:14-17).

If we can truly understand the significance of our calling, then our service to God becomes even more imperative!

We might think, “What can we do?” Can a relatively small group of Christians really accomplish anything meaningful in the work God has commissioned? The fact is that the Church of God has always been small (Luke 12:32), persecuted (John 15:20; 16:33) and challenged to keep the faith (Jude 1:3). In spite of that, throughout the centuries, true brethren have continued to serve God—to stay in the Church of God and not fall away!

What we must understand and never lose sight of is that Jesus Christ is the living Head of His Church—the Church of God! He knows each one of us. He continues to guide us, if we continue to submit to His lead.

One of my favorite Scriptures about the Millennium which shows what conditions will exist in Jerusalem in the future, is in the eighth chapter of the book of Zechariah, verses 3-5:

“Thus says the LORD: ‘I will return to Zion, And dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, The Mountain of the LORD of hosts, The Holy Mountain.’  Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sit In the streets of Jerusalem, Each one with his staff in his hand Because of great age. The streets of the city Shall be full of boys and girls Playing in its streets.'”

Christ promises here that He will return to Jerusalem, and we also get a glimpse of conditions there when old men and women will sit in the streets and young boys and girls will play there without fear of harm.

What a contrast as to what we see there today, with terrorists attacking citizens, setting off bombs which kill innocent men, women and also children, while young Palestinians are not only taught to hate the Jews, but also, how to stab them to death.

Things will only get worse until the return of Christ, when a new mindset will be instilled in people, causing totally different conditions.

Jeremiah 30:18-20 tells us:

“Thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will bring back the captivity of Jacob’s tents, And have mercy on his dwelling places; The city shall be built upon its own mound, And the palace shall remain according to its own plan. Then out of them shall proceed thanksgiving And the voice of those who make merry; I will multiply them, and they shall not diminish; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.  Their children also shall be as before, And their congregation shall be established before Me; And I will punish all who oppress them.”

Eventually, there will be peace in the region which has been impossible to achieve under the current rulers in the area, because of the absolute hatred for the Jews and the desire of some of the surrounding Arab nations to completely annihilate the state of Israel.

But this will change, as we read in Jeremiah 31:33-34:

“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

For conditions to improve in the Middle East, a change of heart and attitude is needed for all the nations in the area, and then, and only then, will there be peace in that part of the world, and in all countries. Let us pray that those wonderful days are not too far in the future.

On February 19th 2016 we had the spectacle of Mr David Cameron negotiating the UK’s position in the European Community. After two days of wrangling with the other 27 leaders of the EU, they came up with a declaration, which was the culmination of Mr Cameron’s extensive tour of Europe as he tried to persuade the other leaders about the renegotiated terms for the UK.

Without going into the details, which have been picked over for more than a month now, I would like to comment on the spectacle that unfolded before our eyes. Being in the UK gave us a grandstand view with the media in a frenzy.

Large luxurious limousines glided sedately towards the entrance to the conference hall with the usual carpet in full view. Some leaders addressed a huge press corps, and others just went straight into the hall. The size of the media presence was mightily impressive.

Of course, I have no idea about the sincerity of any of the players in this drama as only God knows the heart of each one of us, and it was plain to understand that getting all 28 leaders to agree was not going to be easy. However, these leaders and all of their support staff became much sought after for their views about how negotiations were proceeding and what their particular country’s views on the UK’s demands were. It became a media circus reminding me of that song “There’s no business like show business”.

It was all so very carefully orchestrated, there was a sense of theatre, egos were out in force, celebrity status afforded all the players and it was the best show in town.

In spite of all of this posturing and positioning, it is God who will work out all of the details according to His purpose, not the politicians who always have to compromise on their beliefs and requirements to obtain agreements. But God never compromises!

Sir Winston Churchill once said that “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others” and in human terms that may well be correct. There may be many more such conferences when the strong, charismatic leader in Europe emerges, and then there will be an even greater sense of theatre. It will be a time when there will be no negotiations, just the use of raw power.

That time may not be that far away.

Retired Neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson, a Seventh-Day Adventist and former Republican contender for the Presidency, was quoted in the press as follows:

“I believe Christians in this country can easily determine the next president of the United States and all other national and local leaders, should they simply show up at the polls. When we do vote, We The People will once again solidify our commitment to the Judeo-Christian values upon which our nation was founded… being a person of faith does not delete the responsibility to take part in the society in which you’re living.’”

As long-time readers know, members of the Church of the Eternal God and its international affiliates have been refusing to vote in governmental elections, being convinced that based on the Bible, they must not do so. On the other hand, let me say that I AM voting this year, and let me show you who my candidate is whom I fully support.

First, let me state some of the important characteristics of my candidate. When I vote for someone, I must be convinced that he fulfills these (and many other) requirements, so that I can endorse him completely and totally… with a one hundred percent approval rate.

My candidate who gets my vote must teach against war. He must be able to convince the people that they must not advocate and participate in war either (Isaiah 2:3-4; 9:6-7; 26:12; Psalm 46:9; 68:30).

My candidate must be able to judge with righteousness, not based on hearsay, innuendo, rumors or exaggerations, and no unrighteousness must be in him (Isaiah 11:3-4; Psalm 92:15).

My candidate must be faithful in anything he says or does (Isaiah 11:5). Whatever he promises, he must keep (Isaiah 46:11; Psalm 105:42). It must be impossible for him to lie (Hebrews 6:18). There must be no deceit in his mouth (1 Peter 2:21-22). He must follow the standards which he has announced and put forth, even though they may not be in accordance with the ideas of others (Matthew 20:1-15). He must not change his opinion when it is politically expedient to do so (Malachi 3:6; Numbers 23:19).

While he must be truly gentle and lowly in heart (Matthew 11:29), he must not fail in what he has purposed to do until he has established true justice in the land (Isaiah 42:4).

How many contenders for the American Presidency do you know who would qualify to be my candidate? I know of none.

And still, I will vote this year, as I did in previous years. I will vote for the ONLY candidate who meets my requirements. I am talking about Jesus Christ, of course. And this is what we read in Psalm 118:8-9:

“It is better to trust in [and vote for] the LORD Than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in princes.”

I read a book recently, which made the claim that being busy can be a common form of laziness. At first, this claim appears contradictory. How can someone who’s truly active and busy with work be considered lazy?

If laziness is characterized by being slow to take action, to put off responsibilities and procrastinate, then being busy with relatively unimportant activities becomes a means of distraction, and an ally of laziness. It is deceptive to be busy with inconsequential work because the state of activity allows us to falsely justify putting off other work that is more important. By crowding a schedule with activities and taking on unnecessary responsibilities, we might be putting off the most important use of our time – to develop fruits of righteousness and grow in our spiritual understanding of the Truth.

There may always be dishes to wash, laundry to do, other regular chores and jobs that warrant our attention, but that doesn’t mean that we need to be active in doing those things with every waking moment. We must be certain to set aside time to dedicate to more weighty, spiritual matters. In Luke 10:38-42 we read about when Jesus was visiting Mary and Martha. Martha is described as being “distracted with much serving.” Jesus admonished her to not be worried about those matters at that time, but to take time to learn about the more important things that He was discussing with her sister, Mary. This is a perfect example of laziness in the form of being busy. There is a time and a place for being busy with serving, but it should not take priority over our spiritual development.

Unfortunately, conditions have not improved since Martha’s time to reduce the amount of work that needs to be done in this day and age. One might think that advancements in technology would make life easier so that we can live a life that’s entirely dedicated to fruitful, personal development. Nothing could be further from the truth; we have no shortage of distractions to keep us busy today. The world has very much to offer in the way of being busy with new, important things that could turn our attention away from spiritual development.

There are consequences to falling into this trap, however. The parable of the sower describes how individuals, like you and I, receive the Word of God in the context of different circumstances. One of the conditions that Jesus describes is about thorny ground. In Matthew 13:22 He provides the interpretation, “Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.” The consequence of staying busy with worldly activity is to become unfruitful spiritually. When we allow the cares of the world to distract us and keep us busy, we put our ability to bear spiritual fruit at risk.

If we are serious about our calling to be children in the Family of God, we cannot be lazy. That means that activities that keep us busy, preventing us from bearing fruit, need to find their proper place. What is more important, and perhaps more challenging, is our need to focus on working in those areas of our life that we might be putting off. Do we have difficult problems that need to be overcome? Is it hard to figure out what step to take first? For many of us, the answer to these questions is “Yes”. When we encounter obstacles that are difficult to work on, we need to fight the urge to be busy with something that feels productive, and work on that which will bear fruit instead.

It is the difficult work that we are called to do. In Hosea 10:12 we read, “Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.” Those places in our lives that do not receive attention – the untilled, fallow ground – are what need to be worked on. By being busy in the areas in our lives that might take extra effort, we find new ways to bear even more spiritual fruit and overcome the laziness of busy-ness.

As the race for the 2016 presidency gets closer, the debates between the candidates are getting more aggressive in their attempts to capture the votes among the citizens.  Specific questions are being asked as to what they can accomplish once they take office to solve the problems that this country is faced with.

One particular question is how they would tackle the national debt and financial situation plaguing this nation.  We have heard some answers from certain candidates about how they plan on solving this problem, as well as vague ideas that may seem farfetched, which could in all likelihood impact the rest of the world. Ideas of lowering taxes and bringing jobs back from overseas alone will not solve the debt crisis.  The idea of perhaps wiping out the national debt completely by simply not paying what is owed, as has been done in the past, could very well have detrimental effects this time from the rest of the world, as we point out as part of our comments in our update 724 as to how Donald Trump would possibly solve the national debt.  (See also our StandingWatch program, “Trump Shocks Europe.”).

The problem however has been years in the making.  Throughout history, America has struggled with debt and as one candidate recently pointed out, and rightly so, this country has a “saving problem” and this unfortunately stems all the way back to grade school.

CNBC published an article in January 2016 entitled, “US Schools Get Failing Grade for Financial Literacy Education.” Out of the 50 states, only 20 states currently mandate that high school students take economics, according to the Council for Economic Education, and only 17 of those states require high school students to take a course in personal finance.  Those who are required to take personal finance courses have better average credit scores and lower debt delinquency rates as young adults, according to data recently released.  Being properly trained and educated is the key.  Many at a young age lack basic personal finance skills because they haven’t received the proper education at home which in turn sets them up for failure in the years immediately following high school graduation.

The article points out that “a 2012 study of nearly 30,000 teenagers from 18 countries found more than 1 in 6 students in the U.S. failed to reach the baseline level of proficiency in financial literacy.  Overall, American students fall in the middle of the pack globally.  Financial education classes offered in the K–12 [kindergarten through high school] setting don’t delve into complex concepts… Instead, they teach students practical life skills, like how to balance a checkbook, the effect of interest rates and how investments can benefit from compounded growth. To be successful, most kids don’t need to learn about collateralized debt instruments, but they do need to know how to open a bank account, how much they need to save each month to reach their goals and, if they borrow this amount of money, how much money they will need to earn to pay it back.”

This common sense thinking of how to save money from an early age could have lasting results in the future, which this country has failed to do.  Instead, they spend and borrow, borrow and spend, and the cycle repeats itself, which is why the national debt continues to increase even at this very moment you are reading this editorial.  Proverbs 21:5 states that “The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.”  Also Proverbs 21:20 states (Authorized Version): “There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.”  The Ryrie Study Bible comments: “The wise man plans and saves for the future, but the foolish person squanders what he has.”

Applying the principle of the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30 when it comes to saving is very beneficial and could also have life-long benefits.  One of the ways that God provides for us is through money and it is our duty to manage that money well.  Just imagine if this nation had utilized this way of thinking from the beginning instead of letting it get out of hand as we see today.  Saving money demonstrates good stewardship of the resources God gives us and we are accountable to God how we use everything He gives us in this life, including money.  It’s also vital in that saving allows us to be better prepared for the future, which is obviously a good thing.  Even in nature, this principle is expressed in Proverbs 6:6-8, “Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.”

Brian Gale stated in his editorial in update 722, “… had these biblical admonitions been implemented with children from a very early age, we would have a very different society today, but the basics have been missing.   It is because man thinks he knows better than God, we have the problems that we have today.”  This is why it is important to be properly trained and educated by also applying biblical principles in our lives.  Properly saving money makes it easier to accomplish goals and become more effective. Applying basic principles set forth in the Bible for our admonition should give us an advantage on how we can utilize the importance of planning ahead – a stark contrast to this nation’s current situation.

We recently had the lottery here in the United States. The jackpot got up to 1.5 billion dollars.  While this is a lot of money for most of us, it is hard to imagine that 65% of lottery winners are bankrupt within 15 years.

As one winner declared: “I tried to get too much, too fast.” This attitude of “get” is so prevalent in our current society; and yet, when those who do “get” it, they end up losing most of what they had, even to the point of going backwards, losing family, friends and in some cases wanting to commit suicide. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that this attitude has permeated the very depths of our society. Take a look at the US National Debt Clock and you can watch the depressing amount of numbers continually streaming away. This is our nation crumbling before us. Will Durant’s quote stands in stark contrast: “A nation is born stoic and dies epicurean.”  No longer are people willing to stand up for conscience and truth, but they rather look for the easy way out.

How many times have we in some way wished to win something? How many times have we wished that things would go more easily for us? Maybe our faith has been tested in areas of money, time and patience. Do we immediately lose hope? Do we wish it was instantly better? Or do we look to God and the Bible to start finding the answers that we need? James 1:2-4 plainly states that this is the right attitude that we need to be engaged in.

This time in our lives is our testing and proving ground. We are supposed to learn to be stoic, reliant, steadfast and unmovable with the Word of God as our rock. Look at Luke 21:19; Hebrews 6:12 ; and 1 Peter 1:7. How many times do we read biblical passages like these, think that they are great Scriptures and then walk away and forget what we just read?

As this nation and the rest of the world continue their crumbling decline, away from God and any and all morals, where does that leave us? Christ’s stark words were that the “world hates you” (John 15:18-19). Is this true for us? Do we stand out at times as sore thumbs because we hold fast to the truth? Or do we, for the sake of attempting to fit in, try and become a part of the world?

Our choices are daily. They are in the small things that we choose to do or not do–in the way in which we spend our precious hours. Now is the time to stop kidding ourselves, thinking that we have still much time to overcome, to become more acceptable to God. No, now is the time for deep self-examination, based on the Word of God. Truly, we have been given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be the first in line for God’s soon-coming Kingdom.

How are we treating this? Hopefully not as those who go bankrupt after winning the lottery because they do not know how to use wisely what they have been given. It just came too fast for them. God is testing us NOW to see how we handle our responsibility, learning to make right choices, so that we can make good decisions when we become God beings.