On August 15, 2009, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “To the Galatians.”
The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.
A new member letter has been posted on the Web and sent out this week. In the letter, Brian Gale points out how Christians are persecuted in the UK and the USA, and warns that we can expect worse things to come. In light of this, he encourages all of us to keep our priorities straight.
A new StandingWatch program was posted on StandingWatch and YouTube, titled, “Mr. Obama’s Mysterious Birthplace.” In the program, Norbert Link discusses the fact that while White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs reiterated this week that proof for President Obama’s birthplace in Hawaii “had been posted online,” some contend that the posted abbreviated “Certification of Live Birth” does not provide such proof, as “a child does not even have to be born in Hawaii to receive such a COLB.” In light of persistent rumors and affidavits alleging that Mr. Obama was born in Kenya, they demand the release of his “long-form, hospital generated birth certificate” to fulfill the requirements of the US Constitution and the Immigration Law in effect in 1961, that only a natural-born American citizen can serve as American President.
A new German sermon was posted this week on the Web and on our web site. It is titled “Wie man den Heiligen Geist erhaelt” (“How to Receive the Holy Spirit”).
Understanding our part and responsibility regarding the work of God is a pivotal issue for those who claim to follow the Christian faith! The fact is that there is great confusion about exactly what the work of God means.
To truly comprehend what Jesus taught about the work of God, we must consider not only the verse in John, but, additionally, we need to compare other references in God’s Word. First, here is the text in question:
“Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent’” (John 6:29).
Consider the specific context of this statement by Jesus. Multiple thousands of people who followed Jesus had recently been miraculously fed (compare John 6:1-14). Some continued to seek Jesus—even to the point of getting into boats and crossing to where Jesus had gone, as recorded in verses 22-25 of John 6.
It is quite revealing to read how Jesus responded:
“‘…Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him’” (John 6:26-27).
Here is a quite obvious case of people following Jesus for the wrong reasons. They believed they would receive physical food to satisfy themselves. In fact, Jesus warned that some would claim that they used His name for preaching, for withstanding Satanic forces and even for doing miraculous works (compare Matthew 7:21-22). However, carefully note what He also said about people of this mindset:
“‘And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”’” (Matthew 7:23).
These all knew about Jesus, but they utterly failed to live within the laws of God!
Jesus asks this poignant question of any who would claim to be His follower:
“‘But why do you call Me “Lord, Lord,” and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great’” (Luke 6:46-49).
What Jesus said for us to do, He also did Himself! One example of this is the establishment of how Christians are to observe the Passover:
“‘For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them’” (John 13:15-17).
Far too many—indeed the majority of Bible students—read over passages such as this and ignore the plainly expressed teaching of Jesus Christ!
Being a Christian mandates doing what Jesus Christ has commanded His servants to do!
One important activity for Christians is to be supportive of the Church of God, and that is expressed time and time again in bringing forward the preaching of the gospel. This is also something that Jesus Christ dedicated Himself to as He began and then finished His ministry. In Mark’s account we find that “…Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14-15). At the very end of His ministry, Christ was able to give account of Himself to the Father, and He said, “‘…I have finished the work which You have given Me to do’” (John 17:4).
The fact that Jesus accomplished things is proven by the bitter resentment that the Jewish religious leaders held for Him. Jesus even healed people on the Sabbath. Jesus’ answer to those who questioned Him was “‘…My Father has been working until now, and I have been working’” (John 5:17).
Remember, Jesus is the pattern, and the apostle Peter taught this as a foundational principle of Christianity when he wrote of the need to patiently endure suffering: “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:21).
One must conclude that just believing that God sent Jesus is not the end of our responsibility!
The apostle Paul came to believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God—even that Jesus was resurrected from the dead and was alive, living in heaven alongside the Father. But coming to that knowledge was only the beginning!
In 2 Corinthians 11, verses 22 through 33, Paul relates what happened to him following his conversion to Christianity. In verse 28, Paul speaks of the work that fell to him—“besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.”
Toward the end of his ministry, Paul was able to give account for the work God had given to him to accomplish: “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and 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).
Romans 16 summarizes the work of brethren in the Church of God. Note how Paul refers to a man and wife of that time: “Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus…” (verse 3). This chapter memorializes those who actively contributed their part to the building up of the body of Christ (compare Ephesians 4:12; Jude 20).
Those who believe and teach that only invoking the name of Jesus Christ completes their responsibilities to God and fulfills their calling to Christianity have greatly compromised the truth of the Word of God! Many of Christ’s parables concern bearing fruit on His behalf—one such teaching is found in Matthew 25:31-46. Fundamentally, the warning is to those who have been called into a knowledge of the truth of God, and the consequences for those who ignore and become lax in following Christ’s teachings are inescapably frightening!
Evidently, this deceptive argument about faith and works became entrenched in the Church of God at the outset. James addressed the issue squarely, and this is the way he concludes, “… faith without works is dead…” (James 2:26).
In our generation some say that the work of God is over, as Christ’s disciples felt after His death and resurrection (compare John 21:1-3); some have crafted their own personal beliefs to excuse their rebellion (compare 2 Timothy 4:3-4); others seek personal power over the “sheep” of God (compare Paul’s warning in Acts 20:28-31); still others have lost the power of discernment that is God’s gift through His Holy Spirit (compare 1 Thessalonians 5:4; 2 Timothy 1:6-7)!
When Jesus Christ prepared to leave this earth, He told His disciples to “‘…Go into all the world and preach the gospel (Mark 16:15; compare, also, Acts 1:8). That task and duty remains and is still the assigned work of the Church of God. The absolute and incontrovertible proof of this is found in the prophecy spoken by Jesus Christ about things that would be taking place leading to His return to this earth:
“‘And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come’” (Matthew 24:14).
Concerning the issue of faith during these end times, Jesus asked this searching question, “‘…when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?’” (Luke 18:8).
To return to Christ’s saying in John 6:29, we cannot do the work of God unless we believe in Jesus Christ–the Head of the church–who directs and leads and guides us. But we must follow His lead–we must DO whatever He requests of us. When we believe in Jesus, we WILL DO the Work. Remember, faith without works is dead. Consider also James’ remarks in James 1:25: “But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a DOER of the WORK, this one will be blessed in what HE DOES.”
One vitally important key for us to ensure that we stand in the faith of Jesus Christ is to, like Him, “work the works of God.” Jesus Christ had a sense of deliberate urgency for completing the work His Father had given to Him, and He said, “‘I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work’” (John 9:4).
For those who believe in Him, Jesus makes this undeniable promise:
“‘Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it’” (John 14:12-14).
Your salvation and your eternal life must not be taken lightly! We all have this powerful admonition:
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).
In the final chapter of the Book of Revelation, Jesus states this: “‘And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work'” (Revelation 22:12).
Something to consider, and, absolutely, something we had better believe!
Lead Writer: Dave Harris
On August 8, 2009, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “Building the Temple.”
The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.
Since May 15, 2009, we sent out the following booklets in the USA in response to our Internet campaign: 155 copies of “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord,” and 140 copies of “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World.”
Norbert Link’s sermonette, “Feast 2009 Update,” was posted on the Internet
Norbert Link’s new sermon, “How To Develop Character,” was posted on the Internet
A new German sermon was posted this week on the Internet. It discusses additional aspects of attributes of the Holy Spirit, such as love, faith and wisdom, and is titled, “Merkmale des Heiligen Geistes.”
by Shelly Bruno
As my son is fully enmeshed in a somewhat stubborn toddler phase, he’s started telling me he wants to “do it myself.” This could be in regard to climbing into the car, cutting with scissors, walking in a parking lot, or crossing the street. Some of these tasks (it is easy to see) would be much better carried out with the help of an authority figure, whether because of safety, experience, timeliness, or just plain common sense.
There is a saying: “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Well, you only have to look to my son’s mother to see a fine example of wanting to do it myself. Tasks (it is easy to see) that would be much better carried out with the help of an authority figure.
I certainly like to be self-sufficient and do things for myself. Sometimes that has a positive result and other times, a negative outcome. Recently, after years of struggling with a problem, I finally handed the problem over to God. Not because I had great faith, or trust, or just knew that God would take care of it, but simply because I had run out of my own options: I just didn’t know what else I could do.
A strange thing happened–within a few hours of asking God for help, I saw a positive result. I was dumbfounded. A problem I had been trying to fix on my own, and had been so unsuccessful with for years, was immediately being addressed by God. After the sheer exhilaration of seeing results, I then became frustrated. Why had I struggled so long, not taking advantage of the ultimate power and authority of the universe? Was my problem so tremendous that God couldn’t handle it? Quite the contrary. The only thing that was tremendous was my stubbornness in not asking for help.
Since this experience I have been asking God for help with many different issues—even things I had previously thought too mundane or trivial for His attention. It’s very encouraging to see how God can and does assist in so many aspects of my life.
As I continue to work with my son during this toddler phase, I will teach him to ask for and accept help. It is reassuring to know that the phase will eventually pass. More importantly though, I hope my phase will pass, and I will learn to do what I should have all along—ask God for help.
In our last Q&A, we discussed the fact that God is creating His holy and righteous character in man, as it is His purpose to reproduce Himself in man–to enlarge His God Family through man. The same cannot be said about angels.
There is no indication in Scripture that it is–or has ever been–God’s purpose to enlarge the Family of God–presently consisting of God the Father and God the Son, Jesus Christ–through angels. Rather, angels are created beings; they are all “ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14).
God tells us that He “has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels” (Hebrews 2:5); rather, this potential is given to man (verses 6-9). And so, we read that Christ did not take on the nature of angels, but He took on the nature of man (Hebrews 2:16; compare Authorized Version and margin of New King James Bible), to be made like His brethren in everything (verse 17), so that His brethren could be made like Him in everything. As we point out in our booklet, “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God,” Jesus Christ–who was God since all eternity–became man, to make it possible for man to become God.
None of this can be said about angels. They are not to become God–in fact, we read that man–made immortal–will judge or rule over angels. A mighty and powerful angel had to tell John twice not to worship him, stating: “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the word of the book. Worship God” (Revelation 22:9; compare Revelation 19:10). But we also read that true Christians, made immortal, will be worshipped–and that with Christ’s approval–so they will be GOD at that time (Revelation 3:9).
And still, the Bible indicates character development in angels. Again, NOT for the purpose of becoming members of the God Family in a literal sense. But, we need to realize that God created angels with free moral agency–as men are free moral agents–and that every free moral agent has the power of choice. He has to DECIDE whether or not to accept and live by the truth. And the Bible tells us that about one-third of the angels whom God had created, DECIDED to SIN–while the remaining two-thirds of the angels DECIDED NOT to SIN (compare Revelation 12:4).
We discussed in a previous Q&A that the great archangel and cherub Lucifer sinned–and that his name was changed to Satan, which means, “adversary.” We also pointed out that the angels under his control likewise sinned and are known today as “demons.” We showed that Lucifer and his demons attempted a coup to throw God off His throne in heaven; but that they were defeated by God’s righteous angels and thrown back to this earth.
Herbert W. Armstrong, the late Pastor General of the Worldwide Church of God, wrote the following in, “The Incredible Human Potential,” copyright 1978:
“Lucifer was a super being of awesome, majestic beauty, dazzling brightness, supreme knowledge, wisdom and power — perfect as God created him! But God of necessity created in him the power of choice and decision, or he could not have been a being of individuality and character…
“This superb spirit being filled up the sum total of wisdom, perfection and beauty. He was the supreme pinnacle, the masterpiece, of God’s creation, as an individually created being, the greatest one in the almighty power of God to create! The tragic thing is that he rebelled against his Maker!…
“He had complete knowledge, understanding and wisdom. But he also was given full powers of reasoning, thinking, making decisions, making his choice. And, with all this foreknowledge — even of results and consequences — this superb being, the highest that even God could create by fiat, turned to rebellion against his Maker — against the way that produces every good.”
We read that Lucifer was perfect when he was created–until iniquity, lawlessness or sin was found in him. God did not create him with iniquity–but because Lucifer was a free moral agent, he DECIDED to ALLOW sin to enter his life. Ezekiel 28:14-17 says about Lucifer: “You were the anointed cherub who covers… You were PERFECT in your ways from the day you were created, TILL iniquity was found IN YOU… You BECAME filled with violence within, And you SINNED… Your HEART WAS LIFTED UP because of your beauty; You CORRUPTED your wisdom for the sake of your splendor…”
As mentioned, the angels under Lucifer’s control followed his bad example and participated in his coup. 2 Peter 2:4 states: “For God did not spare the angels WHO SINNED, but cast them down to hell [tartaros in Greek; a state or condition of darkness, rather than a place] and delivered them into [spiritual] chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment…” Compare, too, Jude 6.
The question might be asked whether the “character development” in all created spirit beings is complete–and whether it was completed at the time when one-third of the angels decided to sin, and two-thirds decided to stay loyal to God. In other words, is it possible that some of the angels could still sin and some of the demons could still repent?
Please note the following excerpts from our booklet, Angels, Demons and the Spirit World:
“When reading about angelic warfare with demons, we might ask ourselves the question: ‘Why does God let these spiritual battles go on?’… We have already discussed the fact that a full one-third of God’s angels sinned in times past, thus becoming demons. God did not prevent them from sinning. He created them as free moral agents and He knew that they could sin…
“Angels were created as free moral agents. God wants them to make a final decision as to whether to sin or to live in righteousness. We know that the angels sinned when they followed Satan. What we don’t know is whether all of them committed the unpardonable sin; in other words, whether or not some of them can still repent. We also don’t know whether all of the angels who did not follow Satan thereby made the irrevocable decision to always stay loyal to God…
“We are told in 1 Peter 3:19–20: ‘… by which [the Spirit] also he [Christ] went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water’ (Authorized Version).
“The correct understanding of this passage is that Jesus Christ preached to the spirits in prison—the demons—at the time of Noah, when God was about to protect Noah from destruction. Christ used this example to show that the demons who had sinned ‘sometime’—before the creation of man—were still awaiting their judgment.
“Why did Christ preach to the demons? Was the only purpose to announce to them what they already knew, that they would be punished in the future? Or, was it done in order to bring some of them to repentance so that they could be spared from punishment?
“Proverbs 16:2 tells us that ‘the LORD weighs the spirits.’ If the fate of all spirit beings—good and bad—is sealed, why would God still weigh the spirits?
“We are also told, in 1 Corinthians 6:3, that we will judge angels. This judgment might include demons who are called ‘angels’ in Revelation 12:7. ‘Judgment’ can mean ‘condemnation.’ ‘Judgment’ can also refer to a process of judging, leading, guiding and directing, which requires time, until at the end of the process, the verdict is pronounced. Is the Bible telling us that we are to judge demons, not only in the sense of condemning them for what they did, but also for the purpose of trying to lead some of them to repentance?…
“The Bible sometimes refers to the angels who followed God as being ‘holy.’ This does not necessarily mean that they cannot sin. We who are called by God today are considered ‘holy’ (1 Peter 2:9). Still, we do sin from time to time. ONLY God CANNOT sin. The Bible does not say that the angels who did not follow Satan, could not sin anymore. Since God cannot sin, we have to become God, higher than the angels, to guarantee that we, too, will not sin anymore as born-again members of the God Family. This is why God is in the process of reproducing Himself, through man, not through angels…
“Paul makes this alarming comment in Galatians 1:8: ‘But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.’ Apparently, Paul felt it might be possible that an ‘angel from heaven’ could sin, by preaching a wrong gospel message…
“Does God allow spiritual battles between angels and demons to go on in order to allow character-building, either good or bad? Actions prove where one’s heart is. An angel who consistently and tenaciously fights for God, and against demons, will not be easily persuaded to deny God and to sin, while a demon who consistently and tenaciously fights against God will not easily repent and accept God and His way of life… Perhaps God is still testing His angels and the demons to see which of the angels might not yet have made a final commitment never to sin, and which of the demons might not yet have made a final commitment to never repent…
“God may not be done yet in determining the ultimate fate of all of His created spirit beings. As free moral agents, they too need to come to the point where their character has been formed and will not change. This has undoubtedly already occurred in many cases, but there might be other cases where God is still testing the spirits to see exactly where they stand.”
In conclusion, as free moral agents, both angels and men must choose to obey God. This requires time. While most created spirit beings have undoubtedly irrevocably decided never to sin or never to repent–so that they have acquired either good or bad character–there could still be those whose character development is not yet complete.
It is clear from Scripture that Satan and most demons are not interested in developing righteous character–they are not able to do so. It is also apparent that most holy angels are not interested in turning from God–in fact, they, too, might not be able to do so. Once spirit beings make an irrevocable decision never to sin or never to repent, they cannot change, as they are unwilling to change. Then, their character development–either for the good or the bad–will have been completed. For instance, as we pointed out in our last Q&A, God, who has always been perfect and righteous character, CANNOT sin, as His perfect WILL and His very nature are opposed to sinning. There was never a time when God’s character needed development–it was always perfect, righteous and good. But as we said, it is possible that some angels or demons may still have to reach the point of making their final irrevocable decision–their character development may still be ongoing towards a final resolution.
Lead Writer: Norbert Link
The Bible claims to be the instruction manual for life. True to this claim, it is overflowing with instructions on almost every aspect of life.
It tells us how to do basic things:
The Bible contains instructions on subjects as diverse as building codes (Deuteronomy 22:8); weights and measures (Leviticus 19:35-36); animal husbandry (Leviticus 19:19); animal care (Proverbs 12:10); plant genetics (Leviticus 19:19); crop management (Leviticus 19:23-25); waste disposal (Deuteronomy 23:12-14); disease prevention and hygiene (Leviticus 11:24-25, 31-35); disease containment (Leviticus 13); personal finances (Proverbs 22:7, 9; Malachi 3:8-10); national finances (Leviticus 25:8-17; Deuteronomy 15:1-6; 28:10-14); going to court (1 Corinthians 6:1-11); going to war (Matthew 26:52); and even lost and found (Exodus 23:4-5).
And that is just a small sample.
We need to take the time to study these verses. Imagine if the world lived by them, then we would see a world without abortion, pornography, profanity, lying, stealing, murder, over-burdensome governments or lazy citizens, abandoned widows, abandoned children or abandoned marriages. Perhaps hundreds of millions of deaths could have been prevented over the centuries by following the Bible’s health laws alone. What other national and personal tragedies could be prevented if people followed all of these laws?
The Bible is the most amazing, comprehensive, and compelling instruction manual ever written. The question is, are we willing to follow the instructions?
On August 1, 2009, Robb Harris and Eric Rank will give split sermons, titled, respectively, “Partiality” and “Are You Convinced?”
The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.
A new StandingWatch program was posted on StandingWatch and YouTube. It is titled, “The Bible — a Waste of Time?” In the program, Norbert Link points out that recently, a viewer wrote us about the Bible: “That Jew book has caused enough trouble in the world… You live in a… delusion, get… religion out of a secular world.” But is it fair to hold the Bible responsible for the pain and suffering brought about by people who claimed to believe in the Bible, but did not follow its injunctions? Rightly understood, you need the Bible to know why you exist, why there is evil in the world, how to live in peace and happiness, and what your future holds. Evolution can’t tell you. Only God does.
The German version of this StandingWatch program, titled, “Die Bibel–reine Zeitverschwendung?,” was also posted on YouTube and on our German website.
A new German sermon was posted this week on the Internet. It discusses the power of God’s Holy Spirit and is titled, “Das Wirken des Heiligen Geistes.”
