When people ask if anyone has ever seen God, they usually mean God the Father. The Bible is clear that no one has seen God the Father, except in a vision. As we learn from John 1:18. “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” Jesus Christ has made Himself known in many ways throughout history, including through physical expressions. These expressions, however, should not be confused with seeing Jesus Christ in His full glory.

For example, Jesus Christ revealed Himself to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:8-9). His presence was evident as He walked in the garden and spoke with them.

In Genesis 18:1-2 we find that Jesus Christ appeared to Abraham as a man together with two angels, also appearing as men. We know that those two are angels from Genesis 19:1. Christ and the two angels ate a meal that Abraham had arranged to have prepared for them. Later, the two angels went toward Sodom while the “LORD” spoke with Abraham (Genesis 18:22).

In Genesis 32, Jacob fought with Christ all night and in the morning he called the name of the place Peniel, meaning “Face of God”, because, as he said, “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved” (Genesis 32:30).

In Joshua 5:13-15, Joshua saw a Man with a drawn sword. Joshua fell on his face and worshipped, showing us that this was also an appearance of the LORD, Jesus Christ.

When we consider the example of Moses, we find in Exodus 33:11 that “the LORD spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend”. In all these examples mentioned so far, the LORD or Jesus Christ appeared as a man and not as a glorious Spirit Being. However, in Exodus 33:18, Moses asked to see God’s glory. In verse 20 God or Jesus Christ replied and said: “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” In verse 23 we find that God did allow Moses to see His back, but not His face. God stated later that Moses saw the form or similitude of the LORD (Numbers 12:8).

In these examples, men and, at times, women, had seen the appearance of God, actually Jesus Christ, but not in His full glory which is described in Revelation 1:12-18. However, a certain extent of Christ’s glory was revealed to the people. In Exodus 16:7, 10, the whole congregation of Israel saw the glory of the LORD which appeared in a cloud. Also, Ezekiel saw Christ’s glory in a vision (Ezekiel 1:26-28). Interestingly, King David stated in Psalm 17:15 the following: “As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” Here David is expecting to see Christ’s glorified face and His glorified likeness when he wakens. This is not just wakening in the morning as some commentaries explain it. But David used the term sleep as a symbol for death as we read in Psalm 13:3: “Consider and hear me, O LORD my God; Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death.” He knew he would not see God’s face in its full glory until he had died and been resurrected. He would also have been aware that Moses was not able to see God’s glorified face while he was still a human.

Another example of this terminology is found in 2 Kings 4:31. This is when a woman had miraculously received a son according to Elisha’s promise, but the son had died: “Now Gehazi went on ahead of them, and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was neither voice nor hearing. Therefore, he went back to meet him (Elisha), and told him, saying, ‘The child has not awakened.’”  Elisha then proceeded to bring him back to life. Here again, this physical resurrection is considered an awakening from a sleep.

As David said in Psalm 17:15, he would be satisfied to be like God or to be a glorified God being in substance, and to be with God forever. This was much more valuable to him than temporary, physical possessions. He also realised that at that time, he would be righteous. He had written about this time in the previous Psalm, Psalm 16:11: “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” He certainly understood what he was looking forward to.

Of course, this does not only apply to David. We are given the same promise from God in Matthew 5:8: “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.” This encouragement is also given to us in 1 Corinthians 13:12: “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known [by God].”

The apostle John re-emphasises this future for us in 1 John 3:2-3: “Beloved, now we are the children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” This is basically a repeat of David’s expectation in Psalm 17. We will see Christ in His full glory, as He is, because we will BE like Him, or better, we will be equal with Him in substance. We will bear His glorified image (1 Corinthians 15:49; 2 Corinthians 3:18), as Christ bears the Father’s glorified image (Colossians 1:15; 2 Corinthians 4:4). When the heavenly Jerusalem descends on the new earth, we read that we will also see the glorified face of God the Father (Revelation 22:4).

But, of course, there are conditions. In David’s case, he knew he would see God in righteousness. In fact, he wrote in Psalm 15:1-2: “LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart.” And in Psalm 119:172 we read: “All Your commandments are righteousness.”

And in Matthew 5:8 and 1 John 3:3, the ones who will see God are the pure in heart—those who have purified themselves. From this we see that God will raise us from sleep in a resurrection or change us if we are still alive when Christ returns, but we must be striving to live righteously and be pure in heart and life.

In this chaotic world of upside-down values, we have witnessed in the UK yet another example of what priorities are important to a national politician who has been at the forefront of the nation’s approach to the Covid pandemic. Matt Hancock, the UK’s Health Secretary, was caught acting in a compromising situation leading to the revelation of his adulterous affair, and it resulted in him losing his high profile job.

The BBC reported that “his resignation and apology followed photos published by the Sun newspaper showing him in an embrace with a colleague, Gina Coladangelo.  The paper says the photos of the pair – both of whom are married – were taken inside the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on 6 May 2021.”

The Sun newspaper added on the 25^th June 2021 that “Matt Hancock has today broken his silence to admit he ‘breached social distancing rules’ – but failed to apologise to his wife of 15 years after his explosive affair was revealed by The Sun.”

Politicmag.net added that the “Labour Party chairwoman Annaliese Dodds said of Mr Hancock: ‘He set the rules. He admits he broke them. He has to go.’”

What so many were complaining about was that “social distancing rules” were breached.

Much of the nation’s anger could be summed up by one of his constituents who said: “We’ve done what’s been asked of us for more than a year, and he betrayed all of us. He has broken his own rules and our trust. He simply could not be trusted anymore.”

Tim Stanley wrote in the Daily Telegraph on 28^th June 2021: “It says something about how morally twisted the 21st century is that Matt Hancock resigned not over adultery but over breaking social distancing rules, as if the latter is more serious than the former. In the 24 hours between exposure and resignation, during which he obviously thought he might be able to cling on, he described his affair as a ‘personal matter’ and the PM [Boris Johnson] considered the ‘matter closed.’ Mr Hancock was using adultery as a shield, as if the subject were so sensitive, almost sympathetic, that society would draw a veil over it.”

Priorities today don’t take into account God’s instruction on morality.   You can cheat on your husband or wife, you can father several children outside marriage, you can live together without getting married (fornication), you can practice, as a way of life, homosexuality and other perverted forms of behaviour, you can marry a person of the same sex, and in general, society just regards this as normal and acceptable behaviour.   But break someone’s made up social distancing rules and the flack flies.   Priorities wrong yet again.

It is going to take the great tribulation, God’s wrath and the return of Jesus Christ to get man’s attention.  It is the only way that there can be a response to the quagmire of ungodly behaviour which is now mainstream and part of society’s moral, or rather immoral, DNA.  Unfortunately, this story is replicated many times around the world on a daily basis, and much worse, too.   Satan has this world in the palm of his hand, and only Christ’s return will alter the landscape.

We must continue to pray for God’s Kingdom to come soon, when true standards of righteous behaviour will be required.   Only that event will reverse what we currently experience and the time when Satan’s influence will be removed for the benefit of all of mankind!

I was recently on a long bicycle ride, as I am apt to do in the summertime, and witnessed a minor accident when I was on the descent down the final hill. There was a man who appeared to be in his mid-thirties off to the side of the road half way down the hill standing next to his bicycle. The rocky ground he stood on was on a slight incline, causing him to lose balance, falling backwards to the ground. He simply fell over. If he had fallen on a grassy surface, it would not have been a serious fall. However, the ground was very rocky, and though I couldn’t tell for certain, it was easy to imagine that he could have hurt himself. I had about 5 to 10 seconds to react – enough time to stop and help. But I didn’t. I slowed down slightly and looked behind after I passed, seeing that the car behind me had stopped. The people in that car had acted out of concern for this stranger, but I did not for several reasons that essentially add up to poor judgment.

I learned a big lesson that day. My reflexes to help and express love for my fellow man need some exercise. The familiar parable of the good Samaritan immediately came to mind (compare Luke 10:25-37). In that story, a lawyer tested Jesus Christ, asking who his neighbor is, whom he is obligated to love. Jesus responds by telling a parable of a man, half dead on the side of the road, who the priest and a Levite both pass by. But the Samaritan sees the injured man, and offers him the compassion and help he needs. The answer to the question of whom we are obliged to love Jesus expresses in the form of a question to the lawyer. “‘So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?’ And he said, ‘He who showed mercy on him.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise’” (Luke 10:36-37). It was the Samaritan – that despised foreigner – who was the loving neighbor, acting with love and compassion for the injured man in the ditch. This is the example Jesus instructs us to follow.

The direct parallels of this story to the accident I witnessed still sting my conscience. While I cannot go back in time to make a better decision, I am able to use the experience to improve my decisions going forward. Even though this story is about a regret of my own, I believe that the lessons I learned are generally relatable. We all want to be the one who makes virtuous decisions perfectly. But we are all imperfect. We all make mistakes. We all miss opportunities for compassion. We all can do better. And that’s what this editorial is about – getting better at making virtuous decisions and acting upon them instinctively, without hesitation.

In the most recent Comments on News and Prophecy and sermon, “Will YOU Have Eternal Life in God’s Kingdom?” by Norbert Link on June 26, 2021, he made the emphatic statement about the importance of having an urgency and zeal in our lives as the time remaining before the return of Jesus Christ rapidly approaches. The question that we should all be asking ourselves is, “What do urgency and zeal mean for me?” Our answers will all be personal, but in whatever way we put urgency and zeal into action should demonstrate our readiness for the return of Christ as if it was to happen NOW. [We know, of course, that Christ could not come “tonight,” as certain prophecies must be fulfilled first. But the urgency of getting ready must be there. Also, if we were to die today, we would be facing Christ within the next second of our consciousness, when we are resurrected.]

How does urgency and zeal relate to a missed opportunity to help a stranger who has fallen in the ditch? Quite simply, our readiness for the return of Christ means that we actively, continuously, in every moment, and without hesitation work on the fulfillment of our Christian conversion. When we have an opportunity to act righteously, we do it without thinking twice about any inconvenience it might cause us. When presented with the call to follow Christ and participate in the Work of the Church, we appreciate the magnitude of the opportunity and do it (compare Matthew 4:18-22). When we have a decision to make to leave our worldly possessions behind in a moment, we do it (compare Luke 17:31). The prioritization of developing spiritual fruit above all other gain is how urgency and zeal work. Urgency does not work by sitting around to contemplate other options. Zeal does not work by having thoughts without action. This Way of Life must be at our core, directing all of our thoughts and actions if we want to be ready for Jesus Christ to return.

Urgency and zeal sound like great characteristics, but how do we develop that frame of mind and behavior? The answer is simple. Practice. “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous” (1 John 3:7). When we practice righteousness, we increase our ability to respond instinctively with righteousness. Remember that we are flesh and blood, carnal beings. Because of this, being mindful of spiritual things and bringing spiritual fruit to maturity do not come naturally. Only through spiritual practice will we be able to prepare ourselves to have the zeal and urgency that make us ready for the return of Christ.

Practice takes place in the little things just as much as the big things. “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much” (Luke 16:10). In innumerable ways we can consider the opportunity to express our zeal. It could be in the way we treat our family members, how we interact with a server at a restaurant, the bigger decisions surrounding our commitments in life, or simply how we respond when we see someone in need. In whatever ways we practice, our goal is to aim for an immediate reaction directed through spiritual motivations, so that it becomes a reflex. We will certainly stumble along the way as we practice, but it all helps us to learn. And if we don’t practice righteousness, we are not preparing the way Jesus instructed us. The consequences of failing to practice are dire. But we were not called to this Way of Life to fail. We can rest assured that if we actively work to please God through obedience and actively developing righteousness, we will be ready when Christ returns.

The times we are presently in bring forth many temptations where we may be enticed to do or say things in response to statements that go against what we believe, where we may also want to have our “voice” heard.   But even if we were to say something based on our own convictions, is whatever we say going to make a difference?  Biting our tongue and keeping quiet can be quite a challenge.  Knowing when to stay silent and when to speak involves much patience and wisdom.  These two characteristics don’t come out of thin air, but it is a gift from God to develop these traits, through His Holy Spirit, which is the same power that Christ was filled with when He was in the similar situations that we all go through when we are put to the test.

The question we hear often with all the inconsistencies around us is, what is the Truth?  That is easy for us to answer since we have been called out of this world to understand the Truth, by believing in the Bible, which is the Book of Truth, and it has been proven to us that the Bible is in fact true.  We read in 2 Timothy 3:16 that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”  The Bible proves itself.  We don’t pick and choose what we want to believe and accept things here and there that contradict and violate what the Bible says.   If we then believe that the Bible is the Truth, we need to go a step further as it says in the prior verses in 2 Timothy 3:14-15, “…continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

We do this through the two character traits of wisdom and patience, which go hand in hand, as wisdom produces patience. James 1:4-5 makes that clear.  “But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

Truth was also the focus of what Christ taught.  “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).  John 13:17 states: “And if you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

Our commission in the Church is to teach the Truth according to the Bible, and there will be those who do not agree and will forsake the Church, and there are also those who may know the Truth, BUT choose not to obey.  What has history taught us, when things had changed and change was introduced to the Truth?  It wasn’t Godly, for we read in Colossians 2:8,  “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”

This is a warning for us to be cognizant of worldly beliefs and not to return to what we came out of.  God has called US out of that lifestyle for the purpose of NOT returning to it.  And He has shown us the Truth through His Word in the pages of the Bible.  Christ spoke the Truth boldly when He had to, and this is what we are to do, when we have to.  “The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1).  When we are in a situation when our beliefs are being questioned, we need to stand up with boldness for the Truth, and there are many examples throughout the Bible of those who did just that.

We know what is right, we know what is good, and we know what the Truth is.  And if we know this, we have to do it, especially when the Bible makes it clear.  Using the knowledge that has been granted to us is vital in developing patience which will help us determine when to speak and when not to.

Many years ago, I read an article in the Plain Truth magazine which spoke about the old political guard stepping down or being replaced. Names of influential political figures, some already forgotten these days, still come to my mind—names such as, for example, Konrad Adenauer, Helmut Kohl and Franz-Josef Strauss from Germany; Charles de Gaulle from France, Mikhail Gorbachev from Russia; Indira Gandhi from India, Golda Meir from Israel, Margaret Thatcher from the UK, Anwar Sadat from Egypt; and Ronald Reagan from the US.

They ultimately gave way to a younger generation coming to power. Names come to my mind such as Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Angela Merkel and Benjamin Netanyahu.

This was some time back, and they have become, by now, the old guard themselves, having been taken off the political scene or going to be replaced very soon.

While Angela Merkel made it clear that she will not stand for re-election and that she will step down for good, others may still return. Then there are those of the old guard, mainly dictators, who try to cement their rule in perpetuity, such as Vladimir Putin of Russia or Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey.

At the same time, a new generation of politicians has been striving to take over the reins of rulership—younger people such as Emmanuel Macron of France, Sebastian Kurz of Austria, or Justin Trudeau of Canada.

In many cases, chaos and uncertainty have been the result—a fragile and very temporary government in Israel has been established and a very controversial and inconsequential candidate, Armin Laschet, has been chosen by Angela Merkel’s party to replace her.

Others, young and old, might have lost popularity or have been forced to exit the political arena for now, but perhaps not for good. In Germany, once very popular figures lost the approval of the masses— Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg or Jens Georg Spahn come to mind; in Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu had to step down but is fighting for his return; and the same could be said about Donald Trump in the USA or Silvio Berlusconi in Italy. There are others, of course. We just have to wait and see.

Ecclesiastes 1:4, 9 tells us: “One generation passes away, and another generation comes; But the earth abides forever… That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun.”

Overall, politicians came and went, but not much has changed. Many might have meant well, but life has not gotten better… rather, it has only gotten worse and more life-threatening. Rulers emerged to be replaced by others who then also went away—and no lasting improvement was accomplished anywhere.

Since the end of World War II, no German or Austrian political “giant” has stepped up to the plate to manifest himself as the prophesied dictatorial ruler over Europe. Some have been trying, but without success. Others might have fulfilled the required characteristics, but it was not time yet. However, unless we are totally off when it comes to our prophetic understanding, we know that that person, called “the beast,” is alive. And it does not appear that we will have to wait for another generation until he manifests himself on the world scene.

Are we now at the brink of a revolutionary development? Will that charismatic, political and military leader finally arrive in our days? Will the establishment of the final revival of the ancient Roman Empire occur very soon—that power which was, is not, and will be ascending out of the bottomless pit or the abyss of history (Revelation 17:8)?

We believe so. Do you? If you do, then remember that this power will bring unparalleled chaos, pain and terrible suffering to this planet. Christ said that unless those days were shortened for the elects’ sake, no human being would survive (Matthew 24:22), but that He will return to make an end to man’s misrule. Prior to His return, He promises us safety and protection from these awful times which are, as we believe, just ahead of us, but only if we are counted worthy to escape all these things which are surely coming to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man when He comes (Luke 21:36).

If you agree with all of this, then realize that the time allotted to us to qualify for God’s Kingdom is running out. We should prepare now for our eternal future. The time of war which we have been experiencing and will experience even more so, will be replaced by a time of universal peace (Ecclesiastes 3:8)—and that, we pray, VERY soon.

This past Sunday, a friend and I worked on my wife’s car. It needed front brakes,  cabin and engine air filters cleaned, sparkplugs, and an oil change. The job took us a few hours to get done. During the process, we noticed that the axle boots on both sides had torn and needed replacing, and a few hoses and the serpentine belt also needed replacing. So my job, while done for the moment, requires more work in the near future. The car is 10 years old and so it is starting to need some work done on it. This is life. Things break down and end up needing fixing. If I am being honest though, I have put off some of these repairs. I knew that some of them were required and kept meaning to get to them. But inevitably time, money and brain power all seem to be missing in order for me to act in the best possible way. Now the fear is that without proper attention and care over a long enough time, the car would break down to the point where it would become unusable.

How many times in our lives do we find these same analogies popping up? It doesn’t matter in what areas. Physically, we can eat whatever we want, and in the short term this seems to be ok, until over many years things start to break down. This will be true in any area of life that we want to observe. And none more so than in our spiritual lives!

What we do in our spiritual lives plays so much into our physical lives.

In a book entitled, “As A Man Thinketh,” by James Allen, he starts the book with:

“Mind is the Master power that molds and makes, And Man is Mind, and evermore he takes The tool of Thought, and, shaping what he wills, Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills:— He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass: Environment is but his looking-glass.”

This sentiment is so true. I believe this is why the Bible states many times that we can only have one mind.

Matthew 6:22-24 says: “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

A powerful indictment by Christ here: If you see that your light is only slightly better than the “light” of the people of this world, then darkness is creeping in, it’s there!

In James 1:2-8, we find a slightly different way of phrasing it, but it reveals the same result: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

The effects of double-mindedness are emphasized here—of not being able to really and fully put ABSOLUTE confidence and faith in God for ALL THINGS.

Hebrews 4:12 states: “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Again and again we are told that the basics, namely prayer, Bible study, meditation, drawing close to God, occasional fasting, and putting on the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) will create our thinking, which will eventually create our reality! The reality is that without Christ leading in our lives and without properly learning how to submit to Him, we will fully embrace our own thinking, leading to our own paths.

David lovingly asks God often to help him find the way—to put in his life the things he needed so he could focus on finding God to lead. He wrote in Psalm 25:4-6: “Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day. Remember, O LORD, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, For they have been from of old.” This is how David thought a lot of the time.

What is it that we are neglecting in our lives? What outcome will that have now and in the future? Everything in life compounds. Do we want a running car? We have to do maintenance. Do we want a healthy body? We have to take care of it. Do we want a relationship with others? We have to foster respect and love and care. Do we want a relationship with God—the One who promises to help and take care of EVERYTHING in our life if we have faith and trust? Then we must do what it takes to build that relationship with Him. Like many things in life, it is not complex, but it does take dedication, perseverance and mental strength to stay on this path.

You hate to listen to the news these days because it’s mostly bad news.  A good day in Chicago means that only ten people have been shot. Anti-Semitism is up tremendously since the conflict in Israel, with increasing attacks on Jewish people around the world. We should not think that we could not be next. In fact, the whole world will hate us.

Luke 6:22 says: “How blessed are you whenever people hate you, avoid you, insult you, and slander you because of the Son of Man!” (International Standard Version throughout). The reason is: We do not fit in.  A people willing to kill the unborn and turn their nose at obeying God will not tolerate righteous people within their midst because those who obey God make them look bad.

However, there will eventually be peace on earth without wars, conflicts and killings, when the glorious Kingdom of God will rule. Let us look at some encouraging Scriptures in regard to this.

Isaiah 2:2 tells us: “It will come about in the last days that the mountain that is the LORD’s Temple will be established as the highest of mountains, and will be raised above the hills; all the nations will stream to it.”

Isaiah 2:3 continues: “Many groups of people will come, commenting, ‘Come! Let’s go up to the Temple of the God of Jacob, that they may teach us his ways. Then let’s walk in his paths.’”

Isaiah 2:4 says: “He will judge between the nations, and will render verdicts for the benefit of many. ‘They will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nations will not raise swords against nations, and they will not learn warfare anymore.’”

War and hatred are taught at a very young age, but in the future, peace and love will be taught instead, and killing and violence will be abolished.

Also note this setting:

Isaiah 11:6 reads:  “The wolf will live with the lamb; the leopard will lie down with the young goat. The calf and the lion will graze together, and a little child will lead them.”

This depicts an era of safety for children, where they are not abused or harmed in any way. Zechariah 8:5 elaborates: “The city parks will be filled with boys and girls. They will play in the city’s open parks.”

Again, these Scriptures picture a time of peace and safety for children and all of mankind.

Today, we read of children being shot in the streets, kidnapped and abused by evil people. All of this will change in the not too distant future, so we must not be discouraged by events going on, but look to the future when all the evils in this world will cease once and for all.

I recall a song sung by the Ambassador choir, titled: “It won’t be long now.” The time is much closer than when this song was sung in the seventies, and it cannot come soon enough.

These are four simple words, but without them, we would have no hope. All we could expect would be death, even eternal death.

When we look through God’s Word, there are many laws and ways of life listed. A comprehensive list of blessings and curses was given to the Children of Israel as a physical nation just before they were to end their wanderings and enter the Promised Land. In Deuteronomy 28, the first 13 verses give a list of promises for good and health for the people if they would “diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments…” (Deuteronomy 28:1).

However, in the rest of the chapter, beginning in verse 15 to verse 68, that’s four times as many verses, a list of curses and sickness was given if the people “do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments…” (Deuteronomy 28:15). They were given two choices, one leading to great physical prosperity, and the other leading to misery and suffering. One way leading to life and good, the other to death and evil (Deuteronomy 30:15).

Even when offering the people (long physical) life if they obeyed, God knew that they did not have the heart required to obey Him. In Deuteronomy 5:29 we read, “Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!”

However, there are many passages, including those in Ezekiel, where we can read, “Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive. Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die” (Ezekiel 18:27-28). Here is an example of mercy triumphing over judgement. This wicked man deserved to die because of his wickedness, i.e. to receive just judgement, but because he repented, God promised to show him mercy.

There is a similar provision in the New Testament which is important for us. The conditions are given in James 2:13: “For judgement is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgement.” God is well known to be a merciful God (Joel 2:13), and He wants us to be merciful just like He is, to be developing His character within ourselves. We read this in Luke 6:36: “Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.”

This is a consistent theme both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. In Micah 6:8 we read, “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” If we love mercy, we will be merciful. In Matthew 23:23, we read, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.” Here mercy is one of the weightier matters of the law. Something we must always remember.

We understand that we are all sinners in need of mercy (Romans 3:23), because without mercy, the judgement we would have earned would be the (eternal) death penalty. So, knowing our need of mercy from God, then we must show mercy ourselves. And then, as we read in Matthew 5:7, “Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.” Then, as the title informs us, if we are merciful, mercy shall triumph over judgement for us, and this gives us hope for forgiveness of our sins and eternal life.

Among other things, Christians are called members, and here are some examples: potential member; new member; long-time member; faithful member, active member…

The Bible also has these references about our membership: “…so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another” (Romans 12:5); “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 6:15); “For in fact the body is not one member but many” (1 Corinthians 12:14); “But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased” (1 Corinthians 12:18); “And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26).

We have to be called by God to be members of His Church—the one over which Jesus Christ rules! In fact, a person must be selected by God for a place in His Church, as Jesus explained:

“‘No one can come to Me [to become a Christian] unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day’” (John 6:44); “And He said, ‘Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father’” (John 6:65).

Our Christian membership is spiritual, and it must be to be true: “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Romans 8:9).

Our membership with both God and Jesus Christ is the ultimate test, and Jesus prayed about this:

“‘I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me’” (John 17:20-23).

Jesus also addressed the world in this prayer to the Father, and He had earlier warned His disciples that their membership with Him would not be easy:

“‘These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world’” (John 16:33).

Oftentimes, we in the Church of God refer to “former members.” The context may be about those who have died, but, tragically, it may be about those who have forfeited their membership as Christians—having lost the Holy Spirit.

Let me leave you with this powerful admonition—it is a crucially important key for each one of us to maintain our Christian membership in the context of the times in which we live:

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:23-25).

Time is both a foe and friend.

When we experience the good things in life, the hours, days, months, or years seem to pass by so fast that we barely have the chance to satisfy our appetite for joy. At other times, when we unwillingly suffer through unpleasantries, time feels as though it drags on endlessly. The good times are rarely long enough, and the tough times are relentless. Yet, that same constant quality of time guarantees that hard times will draw to a close, and that there will be good times to look forward to in the future.

Even though time often works against us, we can find relief in knowing that change over time is our trusty friend that offers hope. The most difficult and interminable things in life will eventually come to an end, yielding their grip so that new circumstances will usher in. This fact is true from the smallest scale of time to the greatest. Moments pass just as the years do. When we are able to respect, rather than resist the passage of time, it can help us to both appreciate the fine moments that bring us joy, as well as bear the burden of challenges that we face. If we are willing to adopt the frame of mind that all we can really do is concede to the constant demand of change, time will be our friend.

I had the opportunity to watch my oldest son play in his band concert a few days ago. He is a Freshman in Highschool, and this was the last concert of the year. Even though it seems to me as though the school year just started a few months ago, this concert signifies the certainty that there are just a couple of weeks of school left. But even more, as I watched him play with his bandmates, I reflected on how swiftly my time with him under my parental care has passed. I have seen and shared time with him just about every day of his life thus far. But as I listened to him play the trombone, I felt the reality of his place in time crash down on me like a lead weight. Suddenly, the number of days remaining that we will share before he grows into a man, ready to make an independent life for himself, feel scarce. All of the sudden, every day is not enough. And the only thing I can do is honor that fact and make a point to appreciate it.

In the world we live today, the challenges we face as well as the good things that we enjoy will quickly give way to the Kingdom of God. This we know because the Bible reveals that truth. What we do not know, nor can we control, is the rate at which the Kingdom of God arrives. As long as we have to wait, through days and months and years, we know for a fact that eventually time will bring that perfect Kingdom of God that we hope for. The good times now will give way to the greatest of times. The hard times will turn to endless joy.

We can find evidence for this promise in the Bible, being reminded, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). Through patience and with the Faith of Christ working in us, we can endure all of the challenges we face today. Through gratitude for God’s blessings in our lives, we can experience fullness of joy that fuels our hope. By remaining steadfast in our commitment to live a life that glorifies God in every moment, our time is well-spent as an investment in our glorious future.