Do we comprehend the power of God? God’s magnificent power and glory are revealed in Exodus 33:20 where Jesus Christ, the God of the Old Testament, says, “You cannot see My face, for no one may see Me, and live.” And no one has seen God the Father and His glory at any time either (John 1:18; 5:37). On the other hand, both God beings have revealed Their power and glory through visions to Ezekiel in chapter 1 verse 26-28 and to Daniel in Daniel 7:9-14. Also, God’s omnipotence was explained to Job in the book of Job, chapters 38 and 39. God reveals in Matthew 19:26 that for God, ALL things are possible, which shows us His unlimited power. It is further stated in Jeremiah 32:17 that there is nothing too difficult for Him.

There are no limits when it comes to God. He is infinite, All-knowing, ALL-capable, All-powerful and He is the Omega, the very Beginning of everything. He says: “I AM who I AM” (Exodus 3:14). There is no one else out there like God. There are no restrictions when it comes to His ability to do ANYTHING, and NOTHING happens against His Will.

And yet, many still have doubts. Many still don’t believe what He is capable of, and they limit His abilities in their minds. Look at the examples of the people of Israel who survived because of God’s unlimited power and the miracles that He had carried out (compare Jeremiah 32:18-23, 27). How quickly they forgot when they were faced with trials and tests which lead to disobedience

They limited God and His power, diminishing their expectations of their God. They didn’t remember His power—all those miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt, in the wilderness when God provided food, at the Red Sea, and when He brought them to the Promised Land. They failed to remember.

Do we sometimes diminish our expectations of all He can do? We need to realize that God knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows what is best for us. And yet, we still may have many questions as to why. Why doesn’t He answer our prayers right away? Why won’t He give us what we desire immediately? God wants us to succeed. Distractions can become distracting and we may begin to lose our focus. God is full of blessings, but we may doubt at times His willingness to bless us because more often than not, we are in the “now” moment. We want things to happen right away. That may be good or bad. In certain respects, wanting to change our bad ways right away is good. But I’m referring more to our selfish motives. God says in Malachi 3:6: “For I am the LORD, I do not change.” He is forever the same, and He wants to bless us and desires that we become born-again members of His Family.

There are many miracles in the Bible that God performed, and God still does perform miracles for us today. There are miraculous healings at times—situations that we are in that only God can solve when we ask Him in prayer. Also through our commission in preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to the world, God does miraculously call people to the Truth which is nothing that man can do (Romans 8:28) because it is God who calls people through the Work that we are doing (compare John 14:12-14; Mark 16:15 and Matthew 28:19-20).

The power through the Holy Spirit is essential in our daily lives. When Christ was here on earth as a human being, He went through many temptations that we go through today, and God the Father gave Him strength through the power of the Holy Spirit to get through trials. We can today receive God’s Holy Spirit of power through baptism (compare Acts 1:5-8; Luke 24:44-49; Romans 8:1-17). The commission that God has given us to do cannot be done through our own power, and Christ could not have accomplished what He did by His own human power.

God provides protection and does the fighting for us, just as is stated in Exodus 23:27;14:14. Throughout the Bible, we read about the examples of God’s protection; for example in the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace, and also of Daniel in the lion’s den. God also will continue to provide His protection to His people who are called worthy during the Great Tribulation which is destined to occur in the not-too-distant future. Placing our trust in God is crucial, and we must always be prepared by putting on the armor of God against Satan, as we read in Ephesians 6:10-13. Our full confidence should be in God, not in man, for God is the One Who will fight our battles (Jude 24-25).

The Bible, the Word of God, is powerful. God’s commandments and His law are powerful. His purpose for those is powerful who have been called out of this world at this time and have answered His calling, to have the first opportunity before the rest of mankind to be a part of His Family and receive everlasting life! We have power through all the tools and resources we have been given to understand God’s law. And we have received the gift of the Holy Spirit at the time of our baptism so that we can grow in wisdom and knowledge to be able to understand God’s law and share it with the whole world through the Work we are doing—the fulfillment of the commission that God has commanded us to do, to preach the gospel to the whole world as a witness; knowing that one day the world will experience what we have come to understand today. All the peoples of the earth will know that the “LORD is God” and “there is no other” (compare Isaiah 45:5, 14, 18). We must continue to let our hearts be loyal to Him, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments. Remember what God promises us and let us never forget it.

Peer pressure can cause someone to act or do things beyond the usual norms of acceptable behavior in order to just be accepted by others or to conform to their desires and wishes. People want to be accepted and don’t want to appear weird or radically different from those with whom they associate—either at work, in the community or at the church they attend, because they want to fit in.

The problem of caving in to peer pressure can lead to compromise and an erosion of one’s character. Exodus 32:1-4 provides a good example as to what happened when Aaron wanted to please the children of Israel. Exodus 32:1-4 says:

“Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, ‘Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ And Aaron said to them, ‘Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.’ So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!’”

Aaron was the high priest and should have known better. What he and the people did was a complete affront to God who brought them out of Egypt by signs and wonders—not by some idol in the form of a golden calf. It appears Aaron did not resist the people’s desires nor offer a counter argument to show that what they were proposing was a sin and against the God who brought them out of Egypt by a powerful hand.

There were consequences for this sinful behavior. Exodus 32:28 reads: “… about three thousand men of the people fell that day.”

Furthermore, God was so angry that He would have destroyed them all and started over again with just Moses, but Moses talked Him out of it. Exodus 32:11-14 says: “Then Moses pleaded with the LORD his God, and said: ‘LORD, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, ‘He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, “I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.”’ So the LORD relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people.”

Aaron did not have the courage or fortitude to stand up to the people’s desires to make a golden calf. Instead, he caved in. He was overcome by peer pressure and thus compromised in what was clearly contrary to the second commandment in regards to not worshipping idols.

As we move forward and draw ever closer to the return of Christ and as this world gets more and more evil under the influence of Satan, we must not give in to peer pressure or to compromise with what we have been taught from the Bible. The Truth is: We will never fit into this world of sin and corruption because in reality, we are “misfits,” wanting to obey God rather than compromise to please others and this world. There are always negative consequences for peer pressure which leads to compromise; yet on the other side of the coin, there is a great reward for those who faithfully endure to the end.

We purchased a new kitchen nook this past week and on Sunday I put it together. There were a couple of times as I was building it that I didn’t read the instructions correctly and got to a certain point and realized something was wrong. So I had to take the project apart to the point where I misread or didn’t pay attention and then start again from that point. This also used to happen to me as a kid when building a Lego set. The instructions are always there but sometimes they just weren’t read correctly and then what was being built was incorrectly assembled.

God is very precise. His instruction manual (the Bible) is there for us to learn from and to lean on. When we start to lean on our own understanding and stop seeking Him in ALL of our ways, then we start to build in a way that is off center and when we reach a critical point, we hopefully realize that we have been building in a wrong way, and then we have to start to tear down those bad ways and get back to the point where we are once again focused on how to live God’s Way.

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 states a big warning for us: “According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

Our daily work in behaving as a Christian needs to be in our minds. It needs to be constantly built on. We do this by renewing our relationship with God through prayer and meditation and then find our answers and our strength by turning to the Scriptures. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 states: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

But if we are not actively studying, then we are not learning and seeking God. We will begin to lose our precision. Satan is all about trying to distract us from the Truth and cause us to fall away from God. When we do something over and over again, we reach the point where we can do something very well, maybe without even looking at an instruction manual. The Bible though is an interesting manual in that it is a living manual that requires constant study as new information is actively being released to God’s true servants and the knowledge of it. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that God’s word is ALIVE and ACTIVE. If we believe this to be the case, then why would we NOT want to be reading from the Word of God?

One of the greatest gifts we have is that the Word of God is available to each of us. This has not always been the case throughout history. With this in mind, we see that God tells us in Joshua 1:8 that we need to be studying it: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” When we study, we put out other thoughts and focus on what matters. This is true in anything we do. When we study a lot about something, we start to not only think that way but to act on those things that we have studied.

Another warning to remain precisely in tune with God’s Word is found in Revelation 1:3: “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.”

The time is drawing nearer as we continue to closely watch world events and line them up with biblical prophecy. We have the time now to become precise with God’s Word. Let us make sure we are putting in the effort that is needed. Romans 15:4 says: “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” We can have comfort from God’s Word if we are actually studying from it and learning, even in the most difficult of times. King David went through a lot of terrible times, yet his words in the book of Psalms always showed that he was precisely focused on God and dedicated in attempting to let God remain in control even in the most fearsome of circumstances.

We need to be precise when it comes to seeking God and reading His Word. We can have faith that the Word of God holds keys for us pertaining to our lives. Psalm 12:6 says that “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” That is precision. And it is the one thing that doesn’t change with time. It stays true for us and we can always rely on it. When we become precise in this Way, then we can have a proper relationship with the great Creator and Sustainer of our universe.

We all know people who, at some point in their lives, disappointed us. Because of this, relationships can become so broken that there is no longer any contact. It may be leaders who fail, friends who let us down, family members who cause great offence or mates who sin by departing from the marriage and God’s Church.

Sometimes there really is a somber and grim finality in which relationships end, without any hope of reconciliation or restoration. We understand that Satan and those angels who followed him in rebellion will be ultimately and absolutely cut off from God. Furthermore, people who refuse to repent, but who instead harden their heart, sear their conscience and completely reject God and His Way, will be destroyed.

Sometimes, however, relationships can be restored! God, against Whom all of mankind have sinned, gave His Son to reconcile us to Himself (Romans 3:21-26; 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19; 1 John 2:2). Through Jesus Christ, we can now have access to the Father (John 14:6; 16:26-27). Our part in this reconciliation is to repent and obey God. (Acts 2:38; 3:19-21).

We are told, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18). This must be our approach to others, but it takes real effort on our part. A first step in this is our willingness to forgive upon sincere and godly repentance of the other person, and this is a grave responsibility, as Jesus taught:

“‘Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, “I repent,” you shall forgive him’” (Luke 17:3-4).

Also…

“‘For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses’” (Matthew 6:14-15).

Take a moment and think about someone who sometime, somewhere or somehow offended you. Can you forgive them when they show through their conduct that they are truly repentant of what they did? When you sin against another person and repent, would you not want to obtain forgiveness so that a right relationship can be restored? Then, that same responsibility of forgiving others upon their repentance rests with you as well.

I have a memory from an elementary school recess when my classmates and I were picking teams for a game of basketball. One of my classmates looked me in the face, and plainly said, “You’re weird.” I didn’t get the impression that it was intended to hurt my feelings, or to express that there was something “wrong” with me. It was just a simple statement made in a non-judgmental kind of way, expressing that I was different. Even then, I remember having a feeling of mutual agreement.

I look back at that moment, now finding it quite humorous, because it wouldn’t be the last time my playful nature would be seen as being different and a little goofy. But there’s more to it than just a funny story. I look at that moment and find evidence of having confidence to think and act independently at an early age, not worrying if I didn’t fit into the compartments defined by society. I now see how early in my life God began working with me to develop a drive to search for the Truth and build the conviction to live by it, regardless of what others thought. Following in suit, I can recall several moments as I made decisions to draw closer and closer to God, while turning further and further from the ways of the world.

What a relief it is to see that the Bible provides support for not fitting into the world! In Romans 12:1-2, Paul provides guidance for us, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” As Christians, we undoubtedly encounter pressure to conform to the world at the expense of following the Truth, but we are instructed not to do so. As soon as our desire to be judged as “normal” by the world exceeds our desire to follow God, we put ourselves in danger of compromising our relationship with God. Following the Truth is infinitely more important than fitting in, even if the world thinks it is “weird.”

While it is unhealthy to fall prey to the pressure to conform to the world, it is even worse to follow whims of what our carnal minds might justify if those ways are absent from the direction of God. As Paul wrote to the Romans, we are to be transformed by renewing our minds in seeking the Will of God. We are to conform to God, not the world. In being different from the world by turning away from those ways of living, we find strength by living our lives in obedience to God’s commandments. Independence from the way of the world is dangerous without following the Way of God.

In this age prior to the return of Jesus Christ, there is no way of removing ourselves entirely from living in the world. In fact, it is our assigned obligation to live our lives in this world as an example. But we cannot allow ourselves to be pulled in by its deceitful enticements. If we do, it will choke out the Truth, threatening to jeopardize our salvation (compare Matthew 13:22). Our confidence and conviction must be in living the Way of Life that God commands. If the world thinks we’re weird, but God thinks we’re right, we have nothing to worry about.

Being grateful in our lives is a very important characteristic we must have to please God. We are instructed in Ephesians 5:20 to be “Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And one of those “all” things is God’s Word, the Bible.

In this day and age, it is easy to take for granted the opportunity we have to purchase Bibles so very readily. We can go to a local bookstore which usually has at least one version of the Bible available. We can order one of many different translations on-line. There are even free downloads of some older biblical versions available. But do we acknowledge that this ability is actually a great blessing for us that is not available in some countries and has not been available at all in past times?

Here in Melbourne, Australia, a city with a population of just under five million, the number of religious bookstores has been reduced over the last forty years with some Protestant stores closing or going to on-line ordering only. General bookstores usually stock one or a few modern versions of the Bible amongst various other religious books like the Koran and books on Buddhism. So probably due to reduced demand, the availability of Bibles is not as convenient as it once was.

But still there are no restrictions in most of the Western World yet on purchasing Bibles. In some countries, Bibles are restricted or even totally banned. In North Korea, being caught possessing a Bible can result in a fifteen-year sentence to a labour camp or even death. In some Islamic or communist countries, obtaining Bibles can be quite difficult. For example, in China, the most populous country in the world, the sale of Bibles is government-controlled. The government is actually preparing a new approved translation with a “correct understanding” favourable to the Chinese Communist Party.

When we look into God’s Word, it appears that in New Testament times the Old Testament Scriptures were readily available. In Acts 8:27-28 we read that the Ethiopian eunuch was reading the book of Isaiah. Because of his position, he may have been able to obtain the Old Testament without any difficulty.  However, another mention of the Scriptures being readily available, perhaps in public libraries, occurs in Acts 17:10-11 in the city of Berea. Here we read, “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” It appears that these attendees of the synagogue, Jews and Gentiles, were able to read the Scriptures as often as they wanted to.

2 Timothy 3:15 indicates that Timothy had access to the Scriptures in some manner all of his life. For we read, “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.” This seems to indicate that either his family had access to the Scriptures or that Timothy was taught from them regularly in the synagogue.

The manner in which Christ and the apostles quoted the Old Testament Scriptures throughout the New Testament indicated that their listeners were familiar with what was being said. Many of the various audiences obviously knew the Scriptures and there is no indication that anyone claimed the Scriptures were in any way misquoted.

So that is the situation today and the situation in New Testament times, but what about between these times? Early on there were some translations into languages like Armenian and Coptic (Egyptian).

Focusing on translations in Britain, over time quite a large part of the Bible was translated into various languages used in the British Islands. In the mid-14th century however, English became the language of Britain, and the older translations became effectively unintelligible to the population. The Latin Vulgate existed, but by this time almost nobody could read Latin. So now the Bible was basically unobtainable in England. However, it was necessary that English translations would become available, as God’s Word was to spread from England to the New World.

Near the end of this century, in about 1382, John Wycliffe and his associates translated the whole of the Bible from Latin into English. So, the Bible became available to be read by the people, but since copies were hand-written, they could cost a year’s salary. This was a very great barrier for most people. A further consideration was that the Catholic Church was totally against any English translation and condemned John Wycliffe. While he was not put to death, later his bones were exhumed and scattered far from a Church burial site.

In 1408 in Oxford, Archbishop Arundel produced a law forbidding anyone to translate the Scriptures into the common language, and to even have a copy of it could, and did, lead to the death penalty. Many were burnt at the stake purely for possessing a Bible in English.

The next major event in the production of the English Bible was with the arrival of William Tyndale. In 1526 he translated the New Testament from the Greek text provided by Erasmus and later the Old Testament from Genesis to 2nd Chronicles and the book of Jonah from the Hebrew text. His New Testament was sold as a printed edition which made it much cheaper to purchase. However, to try to prevent its circulation, the bishop of London bought and burnt as many copies as he could obtain. Various ways were tried to smuggle copies into England to prevent them from being confiscated.

Tyndale was arrested and burnt at the stake for his efforts. About a year after his death, Miles Coverdale and John Rogers in 1536 produced a complete English Bible, beginning with William Tyndale’s translation of the New Testament and part of the Old Testament from the original languages, and finishing with Miles Coverdale’s translation of the rest of the Old Testament from the German and Latin languages. For this effort, Miles Coverdale had to flee to Europe to save his life, and John Rogers was burnt at the stake. This version of the Bible, named the Thomas Matthew Bible, formed the basis of the King James Bible or the Authorized Version and other modern versions.

So, from this we can see that obtaining a copy of the Bible has not always been easy. In fact, we find that the blood of men has been shed in order that the ordinary person could obtain a copy of the Word of God.

So then, when we think how easy it is today to obtain our own personal copies of the Bible, we can be thankful that some have laboured long and hard and in constant danger to make this possible. We should consider this convenient access to His Word a great blessing that God has provided for us and give Him thanks for it always.

In our weekly Update number 235, dated March 17, 2006, there was a Q&A entitled, “Does it matter what a political leader does in private as long as he does his ‘public’ job effectively?” 

We have had a leadership contest in the UK for the leadership of the Conservative party, following the resignation of the former incumbent, Theresa May. From an initial list of eleven, the final two candidates were chosen and have been in a run-off for the position leader of the party and Prime Minister of the UK.  The winning candidate has indeed had a well documented chequered personal lifestyle over many years until the present time and, although he is highly likeable and a charismatic figure, he would rate very poorly as a role model for those with high standards.

It struck me that briefly re-visiting that Q&A from over 13 years ago would be a reminder of what really matters in the choice of someone for the top political position in the country. Below are just a few of the comments made in that Q&A:

“The Dutch theologian and historian philosopher Hugo Grotius (1583-1645) said that ‘A man cannot govern a nation if he cannot govern a city; he cannot govern a city if he cannot govern a family; he cannot govern a family unless he can govern himself; and he cannot govern himself unless his passions are subject to reason.’

“Those in the public eye and in political leadership positions should have certain standards. We ought to be able to expect that politicians bring certain qualities to the jobs that they undertake, including honesty, integrity, uprightness and a moral code. In other words, we ought to be able to expect ‘character.’

“Character is the ability to discern right from wrong and to always choose the right, irrespective of circumstances or popular demand.

“Character is a vital ingredient and involves the whole person. In his book ‘The Death of Outrage,’ William J. Bennett made the following comments: ‘Are character and integrity abstract side issues, outweighed by current economic well-being?… The leader must be whole; he cannot have his public character be honest and his private character be deceitful.’…

“Integrity comes from studying and applying God’s Word, and it is still of paramount importance. To put it simply, integrity is the difference between what you say and what you do. It has also been described as what you do when no one is looking…

“The behaviour of politicians really does matter. Sadly, in this world which is ruled by Satan, most politicians do not follow God’s Way of Life. Many citizens copy the bad behaviour of their leaders and among many other reasons, that is why the Church of the Eternal God and its corporate affiliates do not vote in governmental elections, nor do we endorse any political candidates.”

We know that both the UK and the USA are due for a big fall before they rise again after Christ’s return, and the importance of voting in someone of high intelligence, leadership qualities and personal charisma is no substitute for good character and integrity. This is not to say that a leader must never slip nor make any mistakes, as no human being is without sin, but we are addressing here an habitual lifestyle and concepts, philosophies and ideas, which are opposed to the Word of God.

What has happened with both Brexit (or the lack of Brexit) and the change of national leadership should not surprise us, as the nation heads for disaster for many and varying reasons, not least being that of great national sins and leaders who are responsible for and involved in them.

The sad thing is that turning to God could have avoided so many problems, but that approach is not even considered today, and we are all the poorer for that.  The new Prime Minister of the UK will have his work cut out over Brexit and the economy at large. However, the sins of the nation are great and the recent winner of this “prize” will not be able to stop the demise of a once great nation. It is sad, it is inevitable and it is to be expected, and only a nation whole-heartedly turning to God can stop it and, based on all the evidence, that is not likely to happen.

Only the return of Christ will solve the problems of the UK, and the world at large, and that cannot be too far away now.

Mankind’s vision of the universe is built upon an ever-changing landscape of understanding. The pursuit of scientific discovery, in what has become religion to many, causes foundations of knowledge to often shift.  What is understood today often replaces the understanding of our past. This fluidity of fact is considered part and parcel in the pursuit of scientific knowledge. No truth is unshakable if discovery proves it false.

In a recent web article entitled, “New Hubble Data Breaks Scientists’ Understanding of the Universe,” the author, talking about the Hubble Constant, states, “The value was first calculated by astronomer Edwin Hubble in the 1920s. But since then, astronomers observing and measuring the universe’s expansion have arrived at different values of the Hubble Constant, none of which seem to agree with one another. The discrepancy calls into question not only our idea of how old the universe is, but also our ability to fundamentally understand the physics that drive its behavior.”

The Hubble telescope, named in honor of Edwin Hubble, has called into question one of his fundamental truths. But for the scientific community, this is part of the process in gaining understanding. The earth was once flat until discovery proved it to be round. Today’s truth and understanding might end up as a simple footnote in the chronicles of our civilization.

How fortunate we are to have our eyes opened to Truth that doesn’t change! Truth that was set as a foundation for all eternity at creation when our God uttered the words, “Let there be light.” When Christ manifested Himself to mankind, He left us with examples of the unchanging Truth of God. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). We are warned to not take that Truth for granted by pursuing ungodliness.

Continuing in Hebrews, “Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them” (Hebrews 13:9).

Man searches in vain because Godly wisdom has been wholeheartedly rejected. Instead, our scientific leaders posit ideas such of parallel universes (to name one) as a way to explain what they can’t understand.

Christ, the one through which creation was accomplished (see Colossians 1:16), was clear in how applicable His teachings were for all ages.  “‘Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven’” (Matthew 5:17-19).

We must stand firm in the Truth as this age draws deeper into ungodliness, and not be led away from Truth that doesn’t change.

In our daily lives, we have a plan.  We plan on getting things done. We make plans for the day and for the week and, in general, future plans to achieve our goals.  We may not always fulfill them, but our plan is to do so.  There may be several hurdles over which we need to jump to get to that finish line, and perhaps thoughts of giving up may come into our minds, but then we catch ourselves veering away and no matter how difficult it may be at times, we ultimately end up sticking to the plan.  Just as we have a plan to accomplish whatever goals we may have, God also has a plan for us!

So how is it then that the trials we go through seem to be so overwhelming at specific times, but soon thereafter, we are able to get through them?  We have help!  God is there to guide us and through the power of prayer with faith, we place it all in God’s hands. He knows! He knows our struggles. He knows our strengths and weaknesses, and so does Satan.     Satan knows where we are vulnerable, which is why we are tested and tempted time and time again. As we know this, we are to “count it all joy when [we] fall into various trials knowing that the testing of [our] faith produces patience” (James 1:2-3).  Verses 6-8 tells us that we are to ask God in faith for help without doubting, for the one who doubts will not receive anything from God, for such a person is unstable in all his ways.

Christ can relate to what we all go through since He had experienced the same trials and temptations. In Matthew 13:31-32, we read about the parable of the mustard seed stating that, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

As we explain in our Q&A on the mustard seed, “The spiritual application of this parable is very clear. Christ compared the Kingdom of God with a very small seed, as it begins in a very small way. It is like a little bit of leaven, which will ultimately leaven the whole world (Matthew 13:33). Today, the gospel of the Kingdom of God is not accepted by very many, and very few–the firstfruits–respond to its message and become converted. Once they receive the Holy Spirit, they are begotten children of God and of His Kingdom–which is the Family of God that will rule on this earth, when Christ returns. Ultimately, the knowledge of God will cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea. The government of Christ will increase and will have no end.”

As we can see, the purpose for us today is quite clear for we have been chosen as the pioneers to be part of God’s plan.  And even though we struggle often and sin continuously, God is very merciful and forgiving WHEN we have recognized our sins and ASK for forgiveness. He does not give up on us but He sticks to His plan for us to succeed.  When we go through our trials, we may react the wrong way at first, but when we recognize this and ask God for help, He will help us to get through our trials in some way or another. Let us keep this in mind and let us strive to be victorious so that God will count us worthy to enter His Family. He called us to carry out and accomplish His plan for and in us, and He will do so as long as we don’t draw back.