We are now a few weeks past the Feast of Tabernacles. We have settled back into our routines, and we are once again dealing with the things that make up our individual lives. 

Usually, after a Feast, I personally feel a very strong desire to once again be a Christian. The fire is burning within me and the excitement for what we believe is strongly in my mind and it is revived with me. Then, as the weeks start to blend together, the daily life becomes mundane. It is a challenge to maintain the amount of zeal and excitement that was felt at the Feast of Tabernacles. 

I don’t think that I am alone in feeling this way!

How do we maintain the feelings that we had at the Feast? 

We are told many times that while it is a proclivity for people to feel this way – to get sad, frustrated, angry or mad – we must realize that we don’t have to feel this way. In fact, we are told we are to be just the opposite. 

We are reminded that we are to be zealous, on fire, stirring up the Spirit of God within us and enduring (Romans 12:11; Hebrews 10:36; 1 Corinthians 14:12; 2 Timothy 1:6-7). This doesn’t leave a lot of room for becoming lazy or disinterested.

I have been thinking deeply about how to sustain that same level of enthusiasm that I felt at the Feast. One of the things that has been coming to mind over and over is a deep need to spend time in Bible study. We often emphasize that it is important to study, but I truly wonder how much time we each spend reading and studying the Bible on a regular basis. 

We find in Hebrews 4:12 (in the New International Version) a very decisive reason as to WHY we should be studying: “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” 

We can understand our thoughts, our emotions, our zeal, our fire and passion for the Truth when we are studying the Word of God. Without this studying, our religion may become empty. 

Turning to 2 Timothy 2:15 and quoting from the Authorized Version, we find another example: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Again, this shows us that in studying the Word of God — ingraining it into our thoughts — it will become a part of who we are. It will sustain and help us to maintain the type of attitudes and mindsets that we need in dealing with the situations that come up in our lives.

When we fail to or refuse to spend time studying the Word of God — because we are too lazy, or too busy, or too tired, or not feeling like it – we may, to an extent, deny the power of God and show our human pride.

The antithesis of this is found in the letter of James.

Again, using the Authorized Version, James 1:21 states: “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”

Let us notice that it is with meekness – that attribute that we need to make it into the Kingdom of God (Matthew 5:5) – that we need to be spending time studying. WHY? To enable us to use the Word in our lives. In Romans, chapter 11, the Apostle Paul shows how and why we are grafted into the Family of God. But he also reminds us, as Christ also did (John 15:2) that just because we are grafted into the God Family doesn’t mean that we cannot lose out on bearing fruits. We should understand that reading the Bible and studying it is an integral part of our Christianity; it is not merely a nice idea or a “maybe I’ll get to that later.” NO! It is a need. It is one of the lifelines to God. 

When we study, we are showing God that we care about His words. And as we read previously – these words are “ALIVE and ACTIVE”.  In Isaiah 55:11, in the New International Version, we read that God continues to lead us through His omnipotent Word: “… so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

That is the God we worship. That is the God with whom we are to have a relationship! This is the remembrance we need to bring forth into our lives so that we not only make time to study, but that we come to desire that study time — to desire to be in the presence of God and to really understand His power and what it can accomplish in our lives. 

We each have an opportunity and a responsibility in our calling. The way in which we live our study life will have a direct impact on our individual lives, the lives of our families, and the lives of our fellow Christians as we each seek to understand how to grow. To accomplish this, we must be studying and then applying the Word of God diligently. 

If you may not know what to study, our Q&As in our weekly Updates would be of great help.

Ephesians 3:14-21 nicely wraps this all together and summarizes it for us in this way: “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

By the time you read this, the presidential election in the United States will be complete. Regardless of who the winner is, I expect people within the country and around the world will respond with heightened emotion and strong rhetoric, revealing a mixture of joy and outrage. The elected president of the United States will undoubtedly set the direction for the future of the country, but it does not matter who wins.

The ultimate future of the United States will not change. Sadly, the nation rejects God and at this time shows no indication of changing. The Bible is clear that this rejection will bring about a level of discipline that must take place. Our nation is on a doomed path leading the country to destruction. The only difference between the two candidates will be the means of destruction and who gets the blame for presiding over the demise.

However, the placement of blame that the world will place on the president will be incomplete. The true blame rests with those who reject God and refuse to obey Him. As God led Israel out of Egypt, He gave them a dire warning about the consequences of disobedience. In Deuteronomy 28:15 He warns, “‘But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you…’” Moses then shares the many, many curses that the people can expect to experience, many of which we can apply in our present age. 

As Biblical prophecy unfolds, we will see further deterioration of our nation, to the point when there will be an attack, which results in captivity (compare Deuteronomy 28:47-52). To many, this is unfathomable to consider. How could the world’s most powerful nation drop to its knees and lose its once favorable influence in the world? Certainly, the leaders will have taken the country down this path, but the citizens have also pushed them in that direction so that they cannot avoid it. The Bible clearly explains why. Quite simply, the people have turned from God, and therefore He removes His blessings of prosperity, peace, and protection. What people are voting for in this election is not a president, but rather the one who will satisfy their desires, in which God is not welcome.

As Christians, our job is to reject this unrighteousness that prevails and do what we can to please God. We choose Jesus Christ as our leader, who will guide us in the path of righteousness. We can find solace in looking to Him: “He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3). Even though this nation, along with the rest of the world, has turned away from God and chooses leaders that do not understand true righteousness, we do not have to follow in that direction. We can and must choose a different path. The path that we follow does not lead to destruction, but to everlasting life.

Paul conveys these familiar words in Philippians 4:13, stating, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” 

Paul knew that ANYTHING was possible when leaving matters in God’s hands, no matter what difficulties he encountered. He also respected the fact that God was in complete control over his life, even though he prayed continuously for God to intervene when it came to his physical ailments. God answered by not healing him at times. That, however, didn’t discourage him as he admitted that through this physical weakness, he was strong (2 Corinthians 12:7-10), knowing that it was God who strengthened him in his weakness.

Having a sound mind with the help of God’s Holy Spirit is what sets us apart from the rest of the world.“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

Paul also tells us in Ephesians 6:10 that we need to “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” 

David also understood this, and he faced many difficult trials as well. He pleaded with God with fasting and prayer and knew that he had to change. He was not too proud to admit that he sinned when he recognized it, and he bitterly repented. He was still punished at times, but God accepted his repentance, and he was forgiven. After all, he was a man after God’s own heart. His heart was in the right place. He loved God’s Law and he received strength from God as he indicated in Psalms 27:1: “The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?” 

He couldn’t rely on just his physical strength and abilities for that is only temporary, but that which is spiritual, is everlasting. It is vital that we in the Church of God are of one mind—to be unified with God and with one another.

To be truly unified, we are to “speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among [us], but that [we] be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10.) We NEED to be of ONE mind (1 Peter 3:8). Romans 12:16 adds that we need to be of the same mind with one another and that we are not to be wise in our own opinion. If we think that we can make it on our own, saying that we don’t need the Church or the ministry, that we don’t need to keep God’s Law and just do what we believe is correct in our own eyes, WE WILL FAIL. Proverbs 3:5-6 reveals in whom we are to put our trust; and yes, God will direct our paths when we DO just that. 

But God also provides help because we are not alone. Who can understand the Bible without direction, explanation, and guidance? This is how God provides help for the purpose of teaching (compare Ephesians 4:11-13; Acts 20:28).  We need God’s ministry to be taught (Romans 10:14). But, we need to be of one mind.  How can two walk together unless they are agreed (Amos 3:3)?

To be truly unified, we must have humility (Philippians 2:1-8), we must have peace (Ephesians 4:3), and we must have love which is the bond of perfection (Colossians 3:14.)  Verses 12 and 13 elaborate on what we need to do to have that bond of perfection.

Through unity of like mind, we receive strength. God will strengthen us when we are unified with Him and with one another. We must allow God to help us when we go through difficult times and we must not take for granted what God has given us. Let’s really think about what His purpose is for us — why we are here, what we are commissioned to do. We must all do our part individually and as a whole. Together in unity, together in strength! 

The fall of the United Kingdom continues apace.   Apart from a loss of standing on the world scene and internal problems in the country wherever you look, we now have two-tier policing. britannica.com has this to say about the police: “a body of officers representing the civil authority of government. Police typically are responsible for maintaining public order and safety, enforcing the law, and preventing, detecting, and investigating criminal activities. These functions are known as policing.”

The riots in various cities in the UK during the early part of August this year brought out misleading statements by the Prime Minister about it being brought about by right-wing thugs, thus missing the real point which many who were not involved actually have sympathy with.   In his Standing Watch programme at that time, Mr Norbert Link spoke about “Why Riots in the UK” and gave a very sensible and reasoned view of why these events took place.

We don’t get involved in politics, we don’t vote and we don’t take sides for or against any particular group or party but comment on what the effects of any action are that is taken as compared with what God has set out in His Word as to how man should behave.

Unfortunately, the police have been very selective about their policing, no doubt taking a lead from the government.  As we have a new government in power who are trying to show how tough they are going to be on law and order, certain actions have recently been taken which have been breath-taking.   Those who have been caught in violent actions have finished up in court, convicted with prison sentences in many cases in just a matter of days showing that this is conduct that will not be tolerated.

The problem is that it is a two-tier system.   Those who have protested in other ways are ignored.  For example, pro-Hamas demonstrators are allowed to spit out their vile hatred of Israel and the police haven’t taken any action at all.   Thugs who fought with police have not had their cases heard yet when they were caught on camera with their actions clear to see.

Not that long ago, the organisation, Black Lives Matter, was able to march and spew out their anarchic approach and, again, this was all allowed without the police taking any action at all.   

The Telegraph wrote in early August 2024 that “if [Prime Minister] Sir Keir Starmer wants to know why Britain’s worst riots in more than a decade have happened on his watch, he need only pay a visit to Lord Sewell, the man who wrote a landmark report on racial and ethnic disparities in 2021.  

“Tony Sewell as he was then, ruffled feathers – particularly on the Left – by concluding that deprivation, rather than ethnicity, was the biggest driver of inequality, and that poor white people in ‘left behind’ towns made up the largest group of disadvantaged people in the country.

“Three years on, his report seems uncannily prescient, and Lord Sewell (who is black) believes that unless Sir Keir confronts the underlying issues that have driven so many people onto the streets in recent days, the appalling scenes that have shamed the country will only be repeated.

“’Taking the knee, him [Keir Starmer] and Angela Rayner [then deputy leader of the Labour Party and now Deputy Prime Minister]- disaster!’ he says. ‘Both of them were just taking their lead from the US.’”

These problems don’t just happen in a vacuum; there are always reasons why and a background that has to be addressed in an even-handed and fair way.

Many still remember the problems that the UK had when rioters damaged statues of famous people and got away with lawless behaviour.  Yes, it was a different government then but the police still had a job to do and failed to do it.   Two-tier policing.

There comes a time when even the mild mannered and suffering masses will eventually say that enough is enough if matters are not dealt with in a fair and unbiased fashion; the majority of the population will accept that but when it comes to a blatantly biased approach, trouble will not be far away.

In our booklet “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America” we list many sins that will bring about the fall of these nations in chapter 3 which is headed – “Impending Downfall of Great Britain, the United States and Other English-Speaking Nations”.  Add to these, the possibility of civil unrest, and for those with eyes to see, a bleak future awaits our nations.

The Church of God has been given the commission to proclaim the Ezekiel warning message that we read about in chapter 3:17 which states: “So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me.”

And that is what we are doing today!

Sometimes tests and trials come early when God is calling us into His Church, and we at times have to make tough decisions which affect us and our families.  One such test is the keeping of the Sabbath, regardless of the consequences. When I was called into the Truth, I had a government job with security, pension, and benefits. Upon learning of the Sabbath, that we must not just keep it but also not work for a living on that day, I had to make a decision since my job conflicted with the Sabbath

I remember it well: I had been reading the Worldwide Church of God booklet, “United States and the British Commonwealth in Prophecy,” and it was not until the second time I read it that it dawned on me that I had to quit my job in order to obey God.

I was working on the second floor of the Prison Hospital, walking back and forth thinking about this, and I made up my mind then and there that I would have to resign and also refuse to work on Saturday which was coming up in a few days.

I was working a dayshift at the time, and it was not more than five seconds after deciding to quit, when the officer in charge came up the stairs and asked me if I could work a double shift because the man scheduled to work had called in sick.  I immediately replied, “Yes, If I can have Saturday off,” which he immediately agreed to.  There was no conflict with the Sabbath in my schedule for a while, and I took the opportunity to resign before the Sabbath issue came up again.

Upon returning home that evening, I told my wife about my decision, and she asked what we were going to do and I said, we would have to trust in God.

I recall on my last day at work that a fellow officer asked me if I was resigning because of my beliefs, and when I told him that I was, he replied that I was making a big mistake. This was in the early part of June, and it was an interesting summer that year.

I worked at several jobs. I was helping a Moving Company to move furniture and goods, I helped a bricklayer for a while, and I worked at a Plywood Plant where I got fired after telling the foreman on the afternoon shift that I could not work on a Friday after sunset, and I went home before the Sabbath. I then worked for the Teamster Union, loading and unloading boxcars.

One day in August in 1969, not having any work that day, I was helping my dad at his place, and after I was finished, I was moved to go to apply for a job at BC Hydro in Vancouver. I filled out an application, and as I was about to walk out, the receptionist said to my surprise that the Personnel Manager wanted to see me.

The interview went very well. He had a lot of questions about my job as a Prison Guard and he said he would let me know because they needed workers to work in the Fraser Valley, close to where I lived at the time.

On Friday, September 12, after not hearing anything from the Manager, I decided to call him. He said to me, “I am glad you called, I have been wanting to call you, you can start in the Fraser Valley on Monday, the 15th.” This was a good and secure government company to work for, better than the previous one I had.

Does God bless our commitments to obey Him, regardless of circumstances?

Within four years, I had become the highest paid employee in the Union and was being paid extra as a first aid attendant.

This all came about due to the commitment to obey God who in the end provided me with a better and well-paid job, benefits, and time off for keeping the Sabbath and Holy Days.

I worked there for thirty-eight years until the Summer of 2007 when I retired.

God fulfilled His promise to bless us when we make the choice to serve Him, regardless of the cost. I trust my experience should be encouraging and motivating to anyone facing similar trials, to put our complete trust in God.

Jesus Christ warned us that in these last days, Satan’s attempts to deceive mankind will reach unparalleled proportions. Christ told us that many would believe Satan’s delusions, lies, great signs and lying wonders (Matthew 24:11; Revelation 13:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11), and He even said that we must take heed that no one deceives us (Matthew 24:4), and that even we, the elect, must be careful not to be deceived (Matthew 24:24).

One of those demonic deceptions, especially for professing nominal Christians, is the Shroud of Turin. It is claimed that it is the burial cloth of Jesus Christ, and that it is imprinted with the image of the body and face of Jesus. We have published numerous articles proving that this Shroud does NOT depict Jesus Christ.

For instance, we wrote in “Is the Shroud of Turin Authentic?” https://www.eternalgod.org/is-the-shroud-of-turin-authentic/: “John 19:40 shows that Christ was [bound] in linen CLOTHES and that John 11:44 describes the custom of Jewish burials in using several CLOTHES and binding them about the dead body, in addition to the dead person’s face being wrapped with or in a cloth (a head swath)…” We have also pointed out that “the results of carbon-14 tests in 1988 suggested the shroud was no older than the 13th century [and] that the ‘calendar age range assigned to the shroud cloth, with a 95% confidence level, is from 1260 to 1390 A.D.’”

Recently, articles have been stating that “Italian researchers used specialist x-ray technology to examine the linen sheet and determine its age [suggesting] the cloth was made around 2,000 years ago” and that the “carbon dating was unreliable” (The Sun, dated August 20). More importantly, the study claims that the “Shroud contains evidence of a real person with real blood and other bodily effluents” (Newsmax, dated September 5).

There are at least two irrefutable biblical proofs establishing that the Shroud of Turin—whatever it might be—could not possibly be a genuine depiction of Jesus Christ, but that it is a sophisticated Satanic fabrication to uphold long-standing errors taught by orthodox Christianity.

The Daily Express got Midjourney AI to provide a glimpse of a face that could be in the Shroud. The image shows a man with a long beard and long hair, similar to how Jesus is usually depicted. The only problem is, Jesus did not wear long hair. This AI depiction is a Satanic attempt to present a false Jesus to the world. Previously, Israeli and British forensic anthropologists and computer programmers created Christ’s face featured in “Popular Mechanics,” a 1.2 million-circulation magazine. They did not mean to imply that Christ actually looked the way the magazine cover portrayed Him, as they used the skull of a Jew from the first century — not, of course, the actual skull of Jesus. They nevertheless determined that Christ did not wear long hair. Other experts agree with that conclusion.

Jesus looked like an ordinary Jew; Judas had to identify Him to the soldiers. He was a Nazarene (having grown up in the city of Nazareth; Matthew 2:23), but He was not a “Nazarite.” It is true that “Nazirites” did not cut their hair, but they were also prohibited from drinking any wine or touching a dead body (Numbers 6:4–6). Christ, however, did drink wine (Luke 22:14–18; Matthew 11:19), and He did touch dead bodies (Luke 8:51–55). If He had been a Nazarite, He would have sinned against the Law of God. But He said that He had kept His Father’s commandments (John 15:10), including all ritual laws still in force and effect at His time.

In addition, Paul told us in 1 Corinthians 11:2–16 that a man is not to wear “long hair,” and that even nature teaches us that wearing long hair is a “dishonor” to or “shameful” for a man. Christ would have most certainly not behaved in a way which would have dishonored His Father (compare John 8:49). So, the Shroud of Turin does NOT depict Jesus Christ, even for this reason alone.

More proof in this regard is given in our free booklet, “Do You Know the Jesus of the Bible?”  

But there is another biblical reason totally debunking the idea that the Shroud of Turin could be a genuine depiction of Jesus.

Newsmax wrote on September 5 that according to the new study, there are “‘[b]loodstained marks all over the body image which are consistent with pre-crucifixion flagellation, bloodstained marks on the head that are consistent with a ‘crown’ of thorns, blood marks on the hand and feet that are consistent with crucifixion and the bloodstain on the chest that evidences a post-mortem wound that corresponds with the post-mortem spear wound that Christ received as is described in the Bible.”

The problem is, the Jesus of the Bible did NOT receive a “post-mortem spear wound.”

We pointed out in our Q&A, “How, exactly, did Jesus Christ die? Why did a soldier pierce Him with a spear when He was already dead?”:

“When we read Matthew’s account, in the New King James Bible, we will not find exactly how Christ died. The reason is that this translation omits a crucial verse, at the end of Matthew 27:49. Several translations, as well as many old manuscripts, have retained this missing verse. For instance, verses 49 and 50 read in the Moffat translation: ‘But the others said, “Stop, let us see if Elijah does come to save him!” (Seizing a lance, another pricked [better, pierced] his side, and out came water and blood.) Jesus again uttered a loud scream, and gave up his spirit.’…

“We need to take note of an additional passage in John’s account. We read in John 19:32–34: ‘Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.’

“This Scripture, the way it is rendered, seems to say that the soldier pierced Christ’s side after He had already died. However, the word ‘pierced’ is in the aorist tense in the original Greek, designating a kind of action, not the time of action. It describes an action done at a single moment, and not continuously, but it does not tell us when the action takes place. Only the context can make this clear. Therefore, in John 19:34, the passage could also be correctly translated as, ‘But one of the soldiers HAD PIERCED His side with a spear.’ From the missing verse in Matthew 27:49, we know that John 19:34 has to be translated, in fact, in the past tense.”

Much more evidence is given in our free booklet, “Jesus Christ–A Great Mystery“, proving that Jesus died at the moment when a soldier pierced His side. He did NOT receive a post-mortem wound.

The Shroud of Turin is a demonic fake, designed to deceive professing Christians and the entire world. Appearing to “confirm” the biblical account, it in reality distorts and falsifies it. It is also important to realize that virtually all depictions of Christ do not accurately reflect His appearance as a human being on earth. He did not wear long flowing hair, and He did not look like a woman. He was a carpenter, a builder, and He was also the leader of former fishermen. Even His hair color was probably not blond—as depicted in most paintings—but black, as the Hebrew people at the time of Christ were recognized as having predominantly black hair.

But most importantly, we should not have pictures of Christ to begin with. Christ was God in the flesh, and Deuteronomy 4:15-16 tells us:

“Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female…’

Paul tells us that we are not to “know” Christ “according to the flesh.” We read in 2 Corinthians 5:16 (Phillips translation): “… even though we knew Christ as a man, we do not know him like that any longer.”

We do not know how Christ really looked as a Man, but we DO know that He did NOT look like the figure on the Shroud of Turin. It is dangerous to focus on images and pictures of Christ and think that in some way those portrayals may accurately represent how Christ might have looked. We are to focus on Christ as He is now—a powerful Spirit being! To get a correct portrayal of Christ’s present appearance, please read Revelation 1:14–16. Christ has white hair, as white as wool or snow, and His eyes are like flames of fire, while His face shines like the sun in full strength! THAT is the Jesus Christ of the Bible—God the Son—who is worthy of worship!

And NO picture or image could portray Him in THAT way!

In the face of trials, what do we do?

“‘Offer to God thanksgiving, And pay your vows to the Most High.
“‘Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me’” (Psalm 50:14-15).

When we find ourselves greatly blessed, what do we do?

“‘Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!

“‘For His mercy endures forever’” (1 Chronicles 16:34).

In our time, thankfulness to God is not something practiced or even rightly understood. God is not glorified as the Creator of all things. Rather, He is ignored and shamelessly disobeyed! Nevertheless, Jesus said of the Father that “‘…He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust’” (Matthew 5:45).

King David extolled God with overflowing thankfulness. His Psalms reflect praise and thankfulness to God (Psalm 23; 145), and many other Psalms in the Bible also laud and exalt God (Psalm 100;148).

We need to take the time to reflect on the majesty of God in the context of our own lives—especially our calling to the Truth of God and eternal life. David wrote:

“LORD, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?
“Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him?” (Psalm 144:3).

We have been called to “shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15). Being thankful to God in the darkness of this age is our great challenge: “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6-7).

Words can be powerful; they express emotions and even evoke memories so deep that we are brought to tears. They convey our intentions with one another and really are a gift from God when used properly. Words also give us a mechanism to seek, understand and communicate with Him.

There is another side to our use of words. Of course, we can use words to wound and harm. The bullying that has sadly become more prevalent with the age of social media is an example of the misuse of words and language. We’ve also become accustomed to the use of words and phrases that hold little meaning. The example I want to focus on for this editorial is the phrase: “I’ll try.” We’ve all used this a time or two in our lives and likely meant well. I’ve read a perspective on this from a business strategist. His take on the phrase “I’ll try,” is that one is conveying an attempt to do something, yet, also hedging one’s bets, or leaving ourselves a convenient escape valve. The idea is that the person is signaling that perhaps they will not be successful or will fail if they try. As though constructing a safety net in advance will inoculate the person from criticism and failure.

In 2017, an American free climber, Alex Honnold, made history and redefined what athleticism means by climbing El Capitan in Yosemite National Park without the use of ropes or equipment. In preparing for this, Mr. Honnold had completed many other challenging climbs. In reading his comments about the climbs, I noticed he never used the phrase, “I’ll try to do this.” He simply prepared to do it, and then went forward. Had he failed in his bid to ascend El Capitan, he still would have won in so many respects. He did not pave the way with the cushion of potential failure.

The word “try” is used 134 times in the Bible and in relation to humans, it may convey what a person will attempt to do, such as one trying to till the land. When it relates to God and His promise for those He calls and who obey, He is always clear. He does not attempt to do something; He commits to it. He implores His people to “try” Him or test Him and He promises to be constant.

In Numbers 14:22-23, we read: “Because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it.” Other translations will use the words try me, rather than test, but the point is made; God requires no equivocation, and no cushion. He sets His hand to something, and He does it. He wants His followers to live with the same commitment in our relationship with Him, and in these verses, He is citing His displeasure with His people for their disobedience.

In Psalm 139:23, we see David imploring God to try him, to search him and know him: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxieties.” This is unnecessary as God knows all about each of us; He knows our shortcomings and our strengths. Still, David is correct in wanting God to know him and throughout this chapter, he is stating his intention of remaining close to God.

Perhaps a more accurate word choice for true Christians in our calling to follow God is that we endeavour (or endeavor) to follow Him. According to Vocabulary.com, The Middle English root of the word “endeavour means to put oneself in or do one’s utmost, so if you endeavour to do something, you do it with earnestness and significant effort.” The U.S. Space Agency—NASA, named one of its space shuttles built in 1987 “Endeavour.” NASA was honoring the HMS Endeavour, the first ship used by the British explorer Captain James Cook. Back in the days of sailing vessels such as the Endeavour, one did not try to make the journey—they truly endeavored to do so. It was life or death and rarely in between. Ironically, it may have been riskier to set sail around the cape of Africa than to sit atop over 3 million pounds of fuel to lift Endeavour into orbit 400 miles above the earth.

In our calling we also must endeavour to obey—that means putting our hearts and minds fully into our commitment. Romans 12:11 illustrates this well: “Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.” Fervent in spirit means we are fully committed in our pursuit of God’s Kingdom. We must never justify our failure to obey with a cushion of weakness.

There is a good modern example of this inherent weakness in a photo of the actor Chris Pratt as he portrayed a lazy fellow in a popular sitcom. The photo includes his comment: “I’ll Try; Don’t Expect Much.” This is truly a statement on society. Don’t count on me to show up for work, to do what I say, and to stand up for God. Contrast this with God’s promise for us as he urges us to try Him and see the result. We see this in Malachi 3:10: “‘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.” For our faith, obedience and trust in God, He will bestow such blessings on His people such that it will overwhelm us. God never backs away from us, He does not need an excuse, and He is the foundation of our lives—now and forever.

In 1 Peter 1:15, we read the admonition for us to endeavour to be as constant in our faith as God is with us: “But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.”

Think about how we wish others to view us; not as one who shifts with the winds, but as a strong, reliable person. First, we must strive for this standard in our relationship with God—to be consistent in our obedience to Him.

I heard a quote recently that got me thinking about how we as Christians are to be thinking differently. The quote was from C.S. Lewis’s book, “God in the Dock”:

“If you think of this world as a place intended simply for our happiness, you find it quite intolerable: think of it as a place of training and correction and it’s not so bad. Imagine a set of people all living in the same building. Half of them think it is a hotel, the other half think it is a prison. Those who think it is a hotel might regard it as quite intolerable and those who thought it was a prison might decide that it was really surprisingly comfortable. So that what seems the ugly doctrine is one that comforts and strengthens you in the end. The people who try to hold an optimistic view of this world would become pessimists: the people who hold a pretty stern view of it become optimistic.”

We know, of course, that this is a terrible world, and no “optimistic” viewpoint will make it better. On the other hand, our viewpoint must be very optimistic when focusing on the world to come—when Christ will rule this earth.

Truly everything in this life is based on how we view things—as C.S. Lewis stated above. Our mindsets cannot be just for the sake of chasing happiness or trying to live our best lives. Our lives are for the training to become more and more like Jesus Christ. The very fact that we are called Christians should be an indication for us that we are to become more and more like Him in terms of how we think, how we act and how we go about our day-to-day activities.

We have the stories in the Bible of people who went through tough hard times. The stories about Daniel and his three friends tell us about their true reliance on God. This didn’t just come on the spur of the moment. This needed to have been built in them over a period of time. They trained their minds, they built their relationship and reliance on God up to the point where they were able to go through the trials they went through and make it through BECAUSE of God’s providence and strength.

I have often thought about how we are told that our mindset is to be constantly changing. We find this in Ephesians 4:23 (AMP Bible) telling us that we must “be continually renewed in the spirit of [our] mind [having a fresh, untarnished mental and spiritual attitude].” To properly do this, it requires constant vigilance and a desire to grow close to God and Christ – in order to think like them; in order to be in sync with them.

It requires us to lean towards putting on Christ. This is iterated over and over again in the New Testament (Romans 13:14, Ephesians 4, Colossians 3). This time we have now is truly for our training. I think that we are beginning to see that people are facing greater and harder trials for the sake of growing closer to God. We must each come to the point where we are willing to surrender everything over to God and learn to follow His lead. This can either come from us actively seeking this OR it can come from God having to step in and start directing our lives so that we learn to turn to Him.

With this being the case – we must be aware that this is one of the prime areas where Satan will attempt to attack us over and over again. He will not stop trying to remove our attention from the process of renewal and attempt to get us to stay distracted and overwhelmed with every-day matters.

The option and the choice is ours. 2 Corinthians 3:18 states that God’s Spirit in us should be helping us to be transformed day by day: “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” Again, in order to accomplish this, we MUST be doing this daily. We must be spending time in God’s Word (His POWER) so we can be led.

In Romans 8:6, we read: “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”  The ONLY way to be spiritually minded is to be putting on Christ. This Truth is powerful if we put it into practice.

If we need inspiration – we can get it by turning to God and daily doing what David showed us as he lived his life.

In Psalms 119:146-148, he says: “I cry out to You; Save me, and I will keep Your testimonies. I rise before the dawning of the morning, And cry for help; I hope in Your word.  My eyes are awake through the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word.”

It is said that those who never make a mistake have never achieved anything. But as easy as it is to make mistakes, it is difficult – and unpleasant – to admit them. Mistakes happen all the time, sometimes they are minor, sometimes they are major mistakes; sometimes we find the right path as a result, and sometimes we stray from the right path.

We can make mistakes towards our spouse, towards our friends, relatives and brethren. I speak of “mistakes”, but that is just a nice way of describing transgressions and sins that we commit against others or that others commit against us.

Our attention is drawn to the “mistake” so that we can, if possible, correct it. This realization is accompanied by shame. Shame is an unpleasant feeling. If we have done something wrong, we should be ashamed of it. But sometimes we don’t want to feel shame because we don’t want to give the impression of failing, being embarrassed or making a fool of ourselves.

It’s good that we are aware of our mistakes. But now we must also have the will not to repeat these mistakes and we must not act indifferently to our mistakes.

We tend to argue according to our prejudices. We know when we are offended, of course, but we ignore it when we offend someone else. Each of us has our own special way of analyzing circumstances or justifying ourselves. What we think initially seems not only right but also perfectly reasonable.

In the back of our minds, even if we don’t want to admit it, we think we are better than others, if not in knowledge, then in character and our attitude! The word forgiveness is often on our lips, but rarely in our hearts. We use phrases like “I’m sorry” or “excuse me” only for the sake of manners and politeness; they are rather meaningless because they have nothing to do with our sincere desire to truly ask for forgiveness.

The same applies when we are asked to forgive others for “mistakes” made against us. How serious are we about “forgiving” others? Are we really prepared to forgive others from the bottom of our hearts for the “mistakes” they have committed against us?

Do we really know forgiveness? Have we ever learned forgiveness? Do we treat others the way we want them to treat us, even when it comes to forgiveness? “I know all of that”, we might think. But we should also live by it!

Christ said: “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses” (Mark 11:25-26). We must truly repent of our own mistakes and transgressions that we have committed against others and ask for their forgiveness, and we must also be willing to forgive others their mistakes if they are remorseful and ask for our forgiveness.

We read in Matthew 18:21-35:

“Then Peter came to Him and said, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

“‘But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. ‘So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.’”

We can learn from our own mistakes. We are not obliged to keep repeating the same mistakes. We can also learn from the mistakes that others have made in the Bible. We all make “mistakes”; that is something we must not forget. But we must repent of them, and we must also forgive the “mistakes” made against us from the bottom of our hearts when they are repented of.

Initial translation: Daniel Blasinger