In Deuteronomy 16:13-14 we are admonished by God in this manner: “You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered from your threshing floor and from your winepress. And you shall REJOICE in your feast, you and your son and your daughter…”

We are told not just to observe or keep the feast but to rejoice in it, together with our families. For many of us, the only family we have to rejoice with is our Church family. Others are blessed of also having their flesh-and-blood family with them. Here are some tips to rejoice at the feast:

1) Let us make every effort to pray and study the Bible during the feast. It is not sufficient to just attend services. Personal study and prayer during that time are very important. Some have found it very helpful to take time out and review, as part of their personal study, the sermonette and sermon notes that they took down on the previous day. In doing this, our relationship with God will be strengthened, and we will be able to reflect God’s joy in our lives.

2) Let us pray for a positive personal attitude. We might run into problems before or during the feast, but they should not influence us to become upset and negative. When we notice that bad feelings seem to overpower us, let us immediately pray to God and ask Him to restore in us the joy we all need to have and to express to others.

3) Let us pray for one another that we will all arrive at the feast safely. This would include praying for the safety of the ministry who are there to serve all of us. We need to also pray for those who cannot be there this year, be it for personal or other reasons. Sending them a card is a nice way to let them know that they are not forgotten at this time. Most importantly, let us pray that God would restrain the hand of Satan so that the Internet broadcasts, Church services and other feast activities would go well.

4) Let us make this an opportunity to take brethren out for dinner who may not have been able to save enough second tithe. This would include, perhaps, a widow or a large family. I remember my first feast when I did not have a lot of second tithe since I was baptized in August. Another member took me out for a meal. It left a lasting impression on me. In subsequent years I was able to do the same for others. It has had a cumulative effect. I was able to pass on to others, what someone else had done for me first.

5) Let us strive to meet and converse with new people. It is amazing how we can draw close to one another and learn more about one another just by conversing and enjoying the fellowship afforded us at this time. This is perhaps the only time we will get to see some of our beloved brethren in the year.

6) Let us make every effort to stay in good health and get sufficient rest. This will enable us to attend every service to get the spiritual food which has been prepared for us, and also, to participate in all of the planned activities at the feast.

7) Let us serve as much as we have opportunity. There are many ways to serve the brethren at the feast, be it with ushering, offering someone a ride or giving them other needed assistance, or participating in choir or the Talent Show. If you have a talent in singing or playing an instrument, share it with others at the feast. This will help all of us to enjoy the feast more fully.

It is our hope that you will have a wonderful and inspiring feast this year. When we follow the time-proven admonitions set forth in this Editorial, it will be much easier for us to truly REJOICE at the feast.
 

One thing that God hates is a rebellious house — a rebellious people — a people who have been taught truth, but refuse to follow that truth. God spoke to Ezekiel and said to him, “Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which has eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear; for they are a rebellious house” (Ezekiel 12:2).

One of the major problems in Israel at that time was that the prophets of Israel, whose responsibility it was to relay God’s message to the people, followed their own spirit instead of the Spirit of God (Ezekiel 13:1-3). They had “… not gone up into the gaps to build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in battle on the day of the Lord” (verse 5). They had not stood for God’s truth before the people. They prophesied, but God stated He had not sent them with the message they proclaimed (verse 6). He said that what they were doing was futile (verse 7).

God had a desire for a people who would stand for His way of life. He has not changed in that desire, and desires such a people, today!

We see in the 22nd chapter of Ezekiel, verses 23-30, that God hated what was being done by His people, by virtue of their rebellious acts. He says that His people were devoured and His holy things profaned, all because the priests did not make known the difference between the clean and the unclean (verse 26). They even hid their eyes from His Sabbaths! How clear that these same problems have existed in recent years among the people of God.

And so, in verse 30, God states that at that time, He “… sought a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap…” before Him, “on behalf of the land,” that He should not destroy it. And yet, He was unable to find such a man to do that.

We have seen down through the history of God’s people, many of those who have been faithful to God, and who have stood firmly for God’s truth and His way. Noah was such a man, as were Abraham and Moses. God’s way was taught in their words and in their actions. Of course Jesus Christ is the prime example of One Who stood in the Gap for God’s way, even to His death! The apostles, except for one, were firm in their stand for God and were promised tremendous future blessings because of their loyalty to God (Matthew 19:27-29).

You and I have been called at this time, brethren, to stand in the gap for God’s way. Will we be faithful? Let us pray for one another for the strength, the power, not to let down at this critical time in history; but to be a light in this world of darkness as Satan is taking every opportunity to see that we fail in this wonderful calling we have received from Almighty God.

 

One of the greatest problems that people in general have, is that of right balance. Why is it that so many can be extreme in their approach, behavior and attitude? Of course, some would see balance as the middle road where fence sitting is a prime attribute and where indecision can reign. That, however, is not true and right balance. Whilst there may be individuals that can fall into such a category, they would not exemplify real balance.

We are to be a light to the world and to set the very best example. Do others see us as truly balanced individuals? Lack of true balance in our Christian lives can impact negatively on the way that others view us and the Christianity that we espouse. It can reduce our effectiveness in this area.

True balance means stability and constancy. It means that we have to become more like God the Father and Jesus Christ. They are the two most balanced individuals that it is possible to be. Malachi 3:6 is a simple little verse but with so much meaning: “For I am the LORD, I do not change.” God is never changing, always constant and balanced. Hebrews 13:8 gives us the same ringing endorsement of Jesus Christ: “Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

God wants us to build His characteristics — the traits of His own nature — into our lives and into the way that we act and behave. Over the years, the true Church of God, “the mother of us all,” has engendered stability and growth in us through a balanced diet of sound doctrinal teaching, personal prayer, study and occasional fasting. The ministry strives to have a balanced approach to sermon subjects, including Christian living, doctrine, and prophecy, as we all continue to strive to be balanced in all things.

True balance is so important. Balance is not extreme. Suicide bombers are extremists. Trappist monks, known for their silence, are extremists. How can extremists interact with fellow human beings and be useful in society? People who watch television all day, every day, are extreme in their behavior, and so are Church members who focus solely and exclusively on prophecy.

We should be thoroughly balanced individuals. In short, balance is required in every aspect of our lives. We are to be followers of Christ. Let us follow Him in this most important area of our Christian lives — that of true and godly balance.
 

From our youth, we have played games in which some would lose and some would win. That elusive goal of running faster, jumping higher or in some way being considered the best, has always been a powerful motivation in our personal development.

Nations fight wars to win. Athletes and sports teams measure their success in the win/loss column. Businesses are considered winners if they dominate the competition.

Some of these approaches have given winning a bad name!

How about each of us? Do we live our lives with the motivation to win? There is a real danger for those who would be Christian to participate in the process without truly attaining the ultimate goal. Jesus taught about this in Matthew 7:13-14: “‘Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.'”

Again, speaking to the Church identified as Laodicea, Jesus said: “‘I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot'” (Revelation 3:15). In the world of Christianity, having a “Laodicean attitude” is indicative of one who is compromising with the truth–of someone who isn’t serious enough about their calling to completely and without reservation follow the way of Christ.

Paul, in 1 Corinthians 9:24, states: “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain (win) it.” Paul is here explaining that we who have been called are competing for an “imperishable crown.” Also, he has this to say about his own approach: “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

The Biblical evidence is overwhelming that we must not neglect our call to salvation and that we must not just drift along with the incomparable knowledge God has bestowed upon us. Furthermore, the Word of God reveals that Christians are offered the ultimate reward of eternal life–the greatest prize of any endeavor for which anyone will ever struggle!

Let us never lose sight of that, and let’s do with all our might what we have set our hand to do. With the help that is promised from God and Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit, this is surely the race WE WILL WIN!
 

It is always an extremely joyous occasion when someone decides to surrender fully to God and His Way of Life, and to become baptized as an outward sign of inner repentance and faith in Christ’s sacrifice. Even the angels of God shout for joy when a sinner comes to repentance. Once baptized, the gift of the Holy Spirit is bestowed on the newly-baptized person.

Why is it so important that we receive God’s Holy Spirit, and that it continues to dwell in us? Primarily, because without it, we are not even Christians (Romans 8:9, 14). Secondly, we will only be changed to immortality if God’s Spirit dwells in us (Romans 8:11).

Still, there is more, and rightly understood, it is the most fundamental reason why we must have God’s Holy Spirit. We might try to explain this reason by pointing out how God dealt with ancient Israel.

Surprising as it may be to some, God never offered ancient Israel the gift of His Holy Spirit. He never offered them spiritual salvation. Note this quote from our booklet, “And Lawlessness Will Abound…”, page 29:

“God made a covenant with the nation of Israel at the time when He brought them out of slavery to fulfill His unconditional promise that He had made, through a covenant or agreement, to Abraham, later to Isaac, and then to Jacob. But, as we will see, God expected… the nation to obey Him — at least in a general way. Since God never offered them the gift of the Holy Spirit, He knew that they could not obey Him in the same way we can today. Still, God expected obedience to an extent. In fact, when they refused to do so, He expelled them from their land.”

Total obedience — and the lack thereof — is inseparably connected with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong explains this fact very forcefully in his book, “Mystery of the Ages,” on pages 169 and 175:

“He [God] was going to prove to the world that without [His] Holy Spirit their [ancient Israel’s] minds were incapable of receiving and utilizing such [spiritual] knowledge of the true ways of life. He was going to demonstrate to them that the mind of man, with its own spirit, and without the addition of God’s Holy Spirit, could not have spiritual discernment — could not solve human problems, could not cure the evils that were besetting humanity… The problems and evils are of a spiritual nature. And a carnal mind without God’s Spirit cannot come to grips with spiritual problems… The Holy Spirit meant more than spiritual knowledge of good. Not the hearers of the law (good) but the doers of the law (good) are justified (Rom. 2:43). Love is the fulfilling of the law, but not human love. It requires the ‘love of God… shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy [Spirit]’ (Rom. 5:5).”

Only with God’s Holy Spirit in us CAN we keep God’s Law. Only if we keep God’s Law, can we become born-again members of the Family of God. THAT is WHY the receipt and the utilization of the Holy Spirit is so important.

Ancient Israel was never offered the gift of the Holy Spirit. God does offer it today to you and me! To quote again from pages 48-49 of our booklet, “And Lawlessness Will Abound…”: “First of all, before the New Covenant came, there was no forgiveness of sins — animal sacrifices do not forgive sins (Hebrews 10:4, 11). Also, there was no promise for receiving the Holy Spirit, which alone gives us the strength and power to conquer sin, and to obey and keep God’s law. The Israelites had the law written on tablets of stone (2 Corinthians 3:2-3). These tablets of stone never became part of their being — they never entered their hearts. As the tablets were of stone, so were their hearts. That is the reason why God, in a New Covenant, replaces our stony hearts with hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19).”

God gives you and me the opportunity to receive and to utilize His Spirit — an opportunity that He has withheld so far from the vast majority of mankind, including ancient Israel and Judah. How thankful are we for this tremendous and uniquely priceless gift? How deeply do we understand that we MUST have God’s Spirit WITHIN us to live a life pleasing to God — that we are only entitled to be called Christians and God’s children, if the Spirit of God the Father and of Jesus Christ dwells in us? It is ONLY by the Holy Spirit in us that we can LIVE, by putting to death the evil deeds of the body (Romans 8:13).

Our new booklet, “Baptism — a Requirement for Salvation,” which is fresh off the press, explains in detail how you can receive God’s Holy Spirit. Please order a free copy, unless you are already on our regular mailing list. This new booklet will show you, as you have probably never heard it explained before, WHY you NEED God’s Holy Spirit. You just cannot afford to be without this precious and priceless knowledge.
 

Are you familiar with the proverbial frog in the pot of boiling water? The way the folk tale goes is, if a frog jumps into a boiling pot of water it will jump out immediately. If it is placed into tepid water and the temperature is increased gradually, the frog will stay in until it boils to death due to its cold-blooded nature.

The problem is that the potential harm is ever so slightly increased in minute increments, almost unnoticeable, until the harm is actually done.

This same phenomenon is going on in the world around us. Take TV for example. What has happened to TV in the last 40 years? It seems that the envelope is being pushed every which way. Programming seems to have an agenda to subtly introduce more and more sex, violence, and things God abhors. We are being asked to accept actions contrary to God’s ways as being OK. You may be able to recall some shows once considered risqué. By today’s standards most would be considered tame.

Well, the same thing could be happening to us each and every day as we battle Self, Satan and Society.

Are we compromising and giving in a little here and a little there? Are we accepting what God says we shouldn’t? OR, are we standing up for what’s right? Are we following Christ’s example and living by every Word in the Bible?

One way to keep from being affected by these never ending little temperature increases is to take a page from the Bereans. They… received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily… (Acts 17:11).

What it boils down to is this; if we are armed with the Word of God and use it as our meter of right and wrong, we will be less likely to succumb to error or stray from the narrow path that leads to the Kingdom of God.
 

Quite recently, I got caught, really caught. I was sent, by e-mail, details of a virus that, if not eliminated, would cause havoc on my computer. It was suggested that I eliminate this virus and forward the message on to my address book. When I followed the instructions, the “offending” virus was there and I duly eliminated it. I also let scores of other people know about this potential problem. However, after all of this effort, a few people who understand computers far better than I, advised that it was a hoax! I then went through the same procedure again, this time advising all those whom I had written to originally, that it was a hoax. I had to re-install the feature that I had erroneously removed as it was necessary in some of the programs that I use. For that exercise I had to enlist help! By this time, others were writing to me because I was in their address book and the whole exercise kept going round and round for a few days. I must have spent at least half a day on this hoax which was a complete and utter waste of my time. I felt also guilty that I had wasted the time of so many others, albeit trying to be of service to them.

It got me to thinking about the lessons we can learn from such an exercise.

(1) First of all, I learnt that if I receive another such, no doubt well-meaning virus warning, I will check with those who understand these problems far better than I, and I will check with web-sites that contain up-to-date information on viruses.

(2) It didn’t take me more than an instant to realize that when destruction, chaos, lying and time-wasting are involved, we can usually look in one specific direction and we shouldn’t be surprised that the problems created all emanate from the same source. Of course, human beings are used, but the basic modus operandi simply doesn’t change from the originating being.

Passing on viruses and details about viruses can create chaos. Scripture tells us that originally, there was no chaos when the heavens and the earth were created. As we have understood for decades, through the influence of Satan, the earth became waste and empty. Satan brought to this earth chaos and confusion. We know that God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). Wherever chaos and confusion reigns, Satan is in the thick of it.

(3) Creating and intentionally passing on viruses is destructive. God is the Creator and Sustainer of positive and good things. Wherever Satan is involved, destruction follows. Satan knows that we have the potential to become members of the God Family. He will do everything he can to prevent us from attaining that wonderful position. If he can destroy us he will, but with the help of God’s Holy Spirit, we can out-maneuver the adversary. Satan caused Job many problems, but he was only allowed to go so far. We have to be on our toes to avoid his destructive attacks on us.

(4) A hoax is a lie. Who is the father of lies? John 8:44 gives us the answer from the lips of Jesus Christ. The ninth commandment tells us not to bear false witness (not to lie). A hoax is a deliberate attempt to deceive. That is not God’s way, but it originates and emanates from the evil one.

(5) Both a virus and a hoax are time wasters. If Satan can side-track us, he will. He will attempt to keep us so busy with those matters that we can become deluded into thinking that we have little or no time for the spiritually essential areas. When we have to deal with a virus or a hoax, it results in a negative and a complete waste of time. Oh, how Satan loves to waste our time.

If God was the center of everyone’s life, viruses and hoaxes would simply not exist. Everyone would have first and foremost the best interests of others in their minds, and they would never dream of doing anything to harm others. They would practice the golden rule of doing to others as they themselves would like to be dealt with (Luke 6:31). They would be esteeming others better than themselves (Philippians 2:3). They would be service orientated, serving others in a Godly way. That is exactly the opposite way to Satan’s approach. We should thank God daily that Satan can only do to us what God specifically allows, and that in the Kingdom of God, our adversary, with his destructive attributes, will have been crushed under our feet (Romans 16:20).
 

This might seem like a simplistic question to ask of people who claim to be Christians. However, it appears by what has been happening in the USA, Canada, and other countries around the world, that the concept of sin or the understanding of what it is, is totally lacking.

To those of us familiar with the Bible, our answer would be, “Sin is the transgression of the law,” or — as it is phrased in the NKJ version — “Sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4).

The next logical question would be, what law is John referring to? We understand that he is talking about the Ten Commandments, as well as the many biblical principles or injunctions given by God and Christ that explain and magnify the Ten Commandments. For example, Proverbs 6:16-19 lists things which God hates. A proud look is one of them. If God hates a proud look, one has to conclude that pride is sin, yet pride is not listed as one of the Ten Commandments. I use this as an illustration to show that sin goes beyond the literal bounds of the Ten Commandments.

Another example is 1 John 5:17, “All unrighteousness is sin.” Recently, same sex marriages were made legal in some Canadian provinces. The Bible says that such conduct is an abomination. We know of “non-Christian” cultures, having no knowledge of the Bible, that do not allow this kind of behavior or union to take place. Some professing Christians who endorse such conduct could learn a lesson from people whom they would look down on as “pagans.” Romans 2:14-16 gives us an interesting warning in that regard.

Romans 1:26-32 shows how God abhors and hates homosexual deeds, condemning them in His Word. This passage also shows that those who perform or approve of such deeds are not guiltless in His sight. This is a real description of our times.

Another recent incident, illustrating the sinful world in which we live, involves a large denomination in a US Church appointing someone to the office of bishop who is known to be openly homosexual.

What does the Bible tell us about the office of a minister? 1 Timothy 3:1-7 states that a minister must be blameless, the husband of one wife and of good behavior, just to name a few requirements.

To appoint an openly gay man as bishop makes a mockery of the Word of God and of God Himself. In Revelation 21:8, God gives us a list of those who will not be in His kingdom. One of the categories of people listed includes those described as sexually immoral. Unless those engaged in sexually immoral conduct repent and recognize the seriousness of their lifestyle and ways, they will not be in the kingdom of God.

Brethren, we know what sin is. We are neither deceived nor ignorant of what is sin or how God views sin, knowing full well that God absolutely hates sin, yet He loves the sinner. It is apparent that the lessons of sinning and the havoc it causes are yet to be learned by the nations of this world. Those striving to obey God and to overcome sin can be comforted, however, by the words of God in Revelation 21:7, “He who overcomes (sin) shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.”

When we review the approach to religious ideas today, we find a situation which is very tenuous. Christ likened our times to ten virgins, who “took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.” Five of these virgins, Christ said, “were wise, and five were foolish.” The foolish “took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.” The bridegroom, however, delayed His coming, and ALL the virgins “slumbered and slept” (Matthew 25:1-5).

This portends a very grave situation for God’s people, today. They “all” slumber and sleep; speaking of the entire Church!

There was a recent article in “the Californian,” which was syndicated by “Knight-Ridder/Tribune,” written by Tom Schaeffer, relating to a term which was coined by Jonathan Rauch. The article speaks to the atheists and agnostics of today, as well as to the “believers.” Mr. Rauch also addressed a new breed, which he referred to as the “apatheists.”

Who are these apatheists? Mr. Rauch wrote an article in the May issue of the “Atlantic Monthly,” where he defined “apatheism” as “a disinclination to care all that much about one’s own religion, and an even stronger disinclination to care about other people’s.” He further defined this term as “an attitude, not a belief system.” He also stated, “It’s not that they don’t believe in a higher power. They simply don’t care one way or the other.”

This apathy concerning religion has been increasing in recent years and since the early 1990’s is not an uncommon thing. In fact, we have seen this attitude building in the very Church of God over the past 10 years, which seems to parallel the growth of this idea in society in general.

In the Book of Revelation, chapter 3, verses 15 and 16, speaking to the Laodicean Church, Christ notes “…that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth.”

It is so easy to look at these Scriptures and ascribe them to “that other group.” However, brethren, this attitude permeates all of God’s people at the end time. That’s why Christ noted that all ten virgins were asleep. It is time for all of us to examine our own personal lives and determine if these Scriptures apply in our personal situations.

We must be honest in this analysis. If this state of apathy, which has been brought into the Church from the world around us, is affecting our personal relationship with God, we must not kid ourselves about it. Christ says that the answer is for such a one to be “zealous and repent” (Revelation 3:19). We must not discount this idea. It is the “overcomers” who will rule with Christ in His Kingdom.

In the latter times–spoken of as the end of this age–it is prophesied that people will give themselves over “to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1). Paul further warns in verse 2 that the consequences of this way of thinking would lead many to “having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.”

For those who are being called into the true pattern of living which is based on God’s laws, Paul taught the following: “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness” (Ephesians 4:17-19).

In the very next verses we find this powerful reminder for all Christians in all generations: “But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus” (Ephesians 4:20-21).

Is our conscience “seared,” and are we “past feeling”?

If we are not ever-mindful and if we don’t stay close to God, it is far easier to fall into step with this world. However, Christians are to be different. Our difference is summed up in the example left for us by Jesus. Philippians 2:5 states: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”

Even though He faced rejection and violent hatred, Jesus was filled with compassion for the multitudes (compare Mark 8:2). His reaction to His enemies who were in the act of putting Him to death is recorded in Luke 23:34: “Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.’ “

David speaks of God in this way: “But You, O LORD, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth” (Psalm 86:15). James tells us, “[T]he Lord is compassionate and merciful” (English Standard Version, 2002).

So, those of us who either are already begotten children of God, or whom God has called to become His begotten children, should be tender hearted, filled with compassion, forgiveness and eager to let the light of godly love emanate from us! Let each of us who understand these things go beyond just knowing what is true, and let us be moved to actually live in this way.

Let us remember the inspiring words of Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

It may be good advice to really concentrate on handling everything with compassion and in a tender hearted way. All of us need to think about what we do before we do it, and then do it in a way that is pleasing to God.