It’s amazing how things can work out at times.

My diary told me that it was my turn to send in an editorial for the next week’s Update.   As I had recently completed this, there was no problem – but, unfortunately, there was!   I could not find the document on my computer – I searched high and low, and for quite some time, but it would not make an appearance!

However, something had happened in the last few days that might have made this editorial almost out of date!   It was entitled “Normal Hostilities on Hold” and reviewed the phenomena of those who might be at odds with others coming together in a time of crisis or national difficulties.   Take, for example, the comradeship and togetherness that the UK showed when being attacked in the Second World War.  All seemed to come together in a common cause and forgot their political, personal and other differences.

One for all, and all for one is a motto traditionally associated with the heroes of the novel “The Three Musketeers,” written by Alexandre Dumas, first published in 1844.   Dictionary.com explains this as saying “all the members of a group support each of the individual members, and the individual members pledge support to the group” – and that’s how it was in the UK during wartime.

I had written the original (now lost) editorial following the aftermath of the London and Manchester terrorist attacks.   One reporter made the observations that as things settled down, the cooperation could now get back to normal and we could go back to being rude to one another again.   It seemed that, in national tragedy, people did forget their differences and pulled together as one – hence the initial title of this editorial as “Normal Hostilities on Hold”.

But another, most unwelcome facet of national life took hold after the appalling events at the fire in Grenfell Tower in London on Wednesday, 14^th June 2017.  Apart from the enormous efforts of selfless volunteers to assist in such a tragedy, the blame game started very quickly, by political agitators and others.

The Daily Telegraph reported that “Grief over the Grenfell Tower disaster turned into angry protests on Friday as the official death toll rose to at least 30 and dozens more deaths were feared.  Demonstrators stormed the offices of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) over its handling of the crisis amid concerns that earlier renovation work was linked to the dramatic spread of the blaze.   Hundreds of protesters also marched on Whitehall, central London, to voice their frustration at the Government’s response to the fire, which ripped through the tower block in north Kensington on Wednesday morning.  The crowd later began marching towards Kensington High Street, chanting ‘no justice, no peace.’”

This happened just two days after the fire started.   In the past, discussions took place after the event concerned, but not this time.

The Daily Mail commented on Friday, 16^th June 2017:

“After the horrific blaze at Grenfell Tower, this should have been a week for the nation to unite in grief for the dead, the bereaved and the relatives of the missing. It should have been a week for politicians to join in demanding how such a catastrophe could happen in a first-world country, and seek immediate ways of averting another. But no. Barely had the body count begun… than [politicians] were spinning a narrative about the fire, blaming divisions of wealth, profiteering…

“Enough! Out of respect for the victims and concern for others at risk, it is imperative to take the politics out of this tragedy and for our leaders, calmly yet urgently, to learn its lessons… Truly, these are chilling times for Britain. Yes, there are devastating questions for officials, contractors, councillors and ministers to answer about Grenfell Tower. But to exploit this tragedy in order to foment division is not only an affront to British democracy but a betrayal of the victims themselves.”

The UK is a divided nation with polarisation in those wanting Brexit and those who don’t, with quite a number of the latter not really accepting the outcome of the referendum.   The recent general election seems to have further divided people and it seems that political capital is now being made from this latest tragedy.

No amount of “point scoring” will help but will, quite probably, harden the polarised factions.   Based on our understanding of prophecy, the UK is heading for really serious trouble like the USA and Israel, and recent events show us, if we have eyes to see, that that time cannot be too far away!

We get to choose! (Deuteronomy 30:19-20).

It all boils down to being a slave of righteousness or a slave of sin—to being a slave of obedience to God or a slave of obedience to Satan. The outcome is either eternal life or eternal death (Romans 3:15-23).

We are a slave of sin if we commit sin (John 8:34). Remember that before becoming a Christian we were all captives of Satan—we did what he wanted us to do (2 Timothy 2:26). We were slaves of sin (Romans 6:17).

But God called us out of Satan’s slavery (Romans 8:2). He revealed the truth, and that made us free (John 8:32). We are “called to liberty” (Galatians 5:13), and it is the truth that enables us to understand God’s “perfect law of liberty” (James 1:25; also: 2:12). It is the truth which sets Christians apart from Satan’s influence (John 17:17).

Now, as Christians, we are “slaves of God” (Romans 6:22). We have been redeemed—our freedom from slavery was bought by the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19; 1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23).

As slaves, we are called servants of God and Jesus Christ (compare Revelation 1:1; 22:6). That means we are to give our service to them—which understanding is borne out in many of the parables of Jesus, for example, “‘So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, “We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do”’” (Luke 17:10).

There is a very high standard for serving God—and Jesus Christ, as the Servant of God, has set the example for us (compare Matthew 12:18; Acts 3:13, 26; 4:27, 30). The reward for serving God as Jesus Christ did places us in a very special relationship with Him:

“‘No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you’” (John 15:15).

Yet, there is so much more in store for the former slaves of Satan who have been called to become slaves of God—as the apostle John reveals:

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are 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” (1 John 3:1-3).

Whose slaves we are will be reflected in how we live—will it be in righteousness or wickedness? There really is only one right choice to make!

We are living in a terrible world and in very perilous times (2 Timothy 3:11). The Bible warns us that we would hear of wars and rumors of wars; of mindless, senseless violence; and of terrorism and terror attacks. Isaiah 28:19 tells us that it “will be a terror just to understand the report,” and Psalm 31:13 says that “fear is on every side.” Demonically inspired, if not possessed, religious and political fanatics are on a rampage to exterminate everyone not in agreement with their radical philosophies and belief system, and in recent weeks and months, mass murders have occurred in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, Egypt, Germany, France, Great Britain and the USA.

Sadly, we can expect that those insane abominations, sometimes even wrongly referred to as “suicide missions,” will continue with increasing strength, and there does not seem much anyone can do to prevent these deranged cowardly killers from engaging in their evil and godless conduct. As long as radical fanatics are willing to murder others and die themselves for their Satanic cause, cruel actions will be the result.

We need to understand that it is Satan, the god and ruler of this world, who brings about calamity and destruction, and he will use whomever he can to “assist” him in his plan of eradicating mankind. Christ tells us that if He was not to intervene to stop Satan and man’s self-destructive desires, every living being on earth would die. This entire planet would again become void and empty.

Thanks to God, this will not happen. Mankind will survive, and Satan will be banned. His rule over mankind will end. Radical fanatics will no longer be allowed to pursue their murderous endeavors. Isaiah 29:24 tells us that those who “erred in spirit [thinking that their evil deeds were somehow pleasing to the true God] will come to understanding.”  This can refer to those who did not die during their terror attacks and who will survive the last days and live on into the Millennium, or those who died and will be brought back to life in the “Second Resurrection.” It is hoped that many, if not most of them, will comprehend and deeply abhor themselves for what they believed and did. But let us also not forget that God is a God of justice, and those radical fanatics who have become guilty of brutally and mercilessly murdering innocent people will have to give account for their evil deeds and receive their due punishment.

Man’s only hope for peace and safety is Christ’s return and the establishment of God’s Kingdom here on earth.  In this evil age, no human attempt to eradicate terrorism will succeed, and no human device will lead to lasting peace, as no human attempt ever did. God’s people are to look to God for their protection. They know that God is here to help them and to live securely, even in the face of terror attacks and utmost destruction. Note Psalm 91:5-7, 10-11, 15:

“You shall not be afraid of the terror by night… Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand, But it shall not come near you… no evil shall befall you… For He shall give His angels charge over you… I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him…”

We are of course admonished not to act foolishly and carelessly by getting ourselves into dangerous situations or surroundings. Proverbs 22:3 says: “A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, But the simple pass on and are punished.” We most certainly are admonished to walk “circumspectly, not as fools but as wise… because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16).

But if we do our part and rely on God in the right way, we understand that if we live or die, we are Christ’s (Romans 14:8). And if, for whatever reason, God should allow some of His children to die in such terrible situations, they will “enter into peace” and “rest in their beds,” being “taken away from [even more] evil to come” (Isaiah 57:2, 1). We know that they will be resurrected by God in the next second of their consciousness, when Christ returns, to inherit eternal life and to be in God’s Kingdom and His very Family. Being convinced of this, we really should fear no evil (Psalm 23:4; 118:6).

When Cain rose up and killed his brother, it was a premeditated act of rage finally surfacing. The choices he made in life preceding his brother’s murder could have only led to one outcome—sin.  Whatever Cain’s impulse that led him to commit that great sin, he let it fester and eventually gave in to it.  God saw this tendency and warned Cain of it, “So the LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it’ ” (Genesis 4:6-7). Cain chose to allow himself to be ruled by Satan and it led to his downfall.

But Cain wasn’t born a killer.  That desire was begotten by years of rejecting God.  Jude warns God’s chosen to “…contend earnestly for the faith…” (Jude 3) because it can easily be lost if we reject any part of God’s Truth.  Jude continues listing character traits with this sinful mindset, “Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries… But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain…” (Jude 8,10-11).  Cain rejected God and followed after his own base desires, desires influenced by Satan.

The same faith that Jude warns us to hold fast was part of Abel’s character.  “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain…” (Hebrews 11:4).  God didn’t reject Cain’s sacrifice because He disliked fruit.  God disapproved of Cain’s attitude and the influence that was leading his actions.

John clearly states who Cain showed love for, “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous” (1 John 3:10-12).

Is it any wonder why this world is enamored with violence and murder—especially in these end times? The father of murder is raging against all godliness. Our sacrifice and our separation from this world delight God while causing Satan to seethe with anger.  And like a hungry lion, Satan is ready to tear us apart from the promise of eternal life.  Godly faith requires vigilance and an understanding when Satan’s influence is creeping into our life. Satan’s has readied himself to deter us from our Godly path.  Are we prepared to prove our faith to God?

Many come to America because they look upon it as the land of opportunities. You may have perhaps heard the saying, “Only in America,” when someone makes a fortune in a business venture or earns money selling a patent.

Americans have liberties which many in other countries do not enjoy. Women can vote, drive cars, start their own business and go about freely—something they cannot do in some countries. There is no violent religious persecution at this time, although that could change rather rapidly. Right now, a person can pursue life, liberty and happiness as long as it is within the confines of the law.

There is relative safety and peace of mind in smaller rural areas. This is not true, of course, in larger cities where there is crime and violence. Americans enjoy freedom of speech which is protected by the First Amendment, without fear of imprisonment or death, which is a possibility in some countries.

But American freedoms cannot remotely compare with what God is promising true Christians. They have been offered a land of opportunity where there is true prosperity and peace. That land is the world tomorrow, the Millennium, when Christ returns to establish world rule under Himself with the resurrected saints as co-rulers. It will be a time of joy and true peace, with wars having been abolished.

Zechariah describes it this way in Zechariah 8:4-5:

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sit In the streets of Jerusalem, Each one with his staff in his hand Because of great age. The streets of the city Shall be full of boys and girls Playing in its streets.’”

This scenario is hard to imagine, when we think of the violence and ghettos of our major cities today.

Notice, the citizens of Jerusalem will be of great age and the children will be safe to play in the streets of the city where there will be no more bombings or stabbings like we see today. We will rule as kings and priests, as Revelation 5:10 says: “And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”  Kings will rule in accordance with God’s laws, and priests will teach God’s laws which describes part of our future responsibilities to spread the law of God over all the earth.

Isaiah 2:3-4 casts additional light on what lies ahead in the future: “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD’s house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”

What is pictured here is the true land of opportunity where there will be peace and harmony with one world religion, which is something we ought to be looking forward to. We are admonished in Revelation 3:11 to hold fast to the end: “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.”

It is imperative to hold fast to the truth without compromise if we want to enjoy the benefits of becoming co-rulers with Christ. God is anxious to bestow on us the gift of eternal life and to grant us our reward of rulership, as well as the potential to be involved in this future land of opportunity.

The current situation which our nations face looks grim and is headed towards self-destruction.  This is certain to happen – it is unavoidable.  Unfortunately, there really isn’t anything that we can do about it, in terms of the economy and other various laws that the government has put into place, and we in the Church feel the effects as well. Yes, our nations are in a big mess and solutions to fix the problems are becoming more and more extreme.  This should be no surprise to us as the Bible is clear not only about the future of our nations, but also the whole world.

The book of Isaiah is full of prophecies of what is to come in the future.  We read about how Assyria (modern German speaking nations) will fight against Egypt in due course; how Judah will fight against Jerusalem; how our nations will also be in war and will lose.  It is hard to imagine this right now and many people do not take it seriously because they also don’t believe it.  It will most certainly happen.  But why? What have the nations of this world done to make God so angry?

The first chapter of Isaiah talks about the wickedness of modern Israel (mainly the USA, Great Britain, Canada and Australia) and Judah.  “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: ‘I have nourished and brought up children, And they have rebelled against Me; The ox knows its owner And the donkey its master’s crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider.’ Alas, sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD, They have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, They have turned away backward. Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, And the whole heart faints. From the sole of the foot even to the head, There is no soundness in it, But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; They have not been closed or bound up, Or soothed with ointment… Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them.  When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood” (Isaiah 1:2-6, 13-15).

The modern nations of Israel and Judah have forsaken God and taken matters into their own hands, either keeping feast days not of God or keeping godly days in a wrong way, and, due to their sins, God has not listened to their prayers.  God is angry because of their pagan-related worship (Isaiah 2:6-9), and as God responded in the past to their sinful conduct, He will once again respond to their wickedness (Isaiah 5:24-25).  For us however, the true Church of God, He tells us to continue to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God until the end (Matthew 24:14).

God has instructed us to be vigilant and NOT to stumble as many have (compare Isaiah chapter 8),  for they go the way of the pagans and not of God.  The leaders of the people are to blame (Isaiah 9:13-17).  They do not look to God for answers, but they look to their own reasoning, what appears best in their own eyes and to the eyes of the public, to gain popularity.  For all those who don’t put their trust in God will have to face serious consequences (Isaiah 31:1-3).  This is inevitable!  This happened back then; it is happening now and it will continue to happen until Christ’s return.

What about us? The Bible is very specific on what we are NOT to do. In a prophecy in Deuteronomy 28:15, it also warns those who disobey, saying, “But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you.”

Yes indeed, the terrible things to come, because of man’s selfish desires, are certain to happen. We have to be prepared for what is to occur.  There are certain things that are out of our control, but we have to recognize the fact that it is God who will take care of us.  We are often times faced with situations which might lead to doubt, and we may question why things are happening the way they are, especially during these times of uncertainty.  It is easy to lose focus, to get off track, to sometimes forget about God.  He tells us in Matthew 6:25-34 not to worry about our future. Christ’s death was inevitable. It had to happen for the sake of mankind, or we would all die the eternal death, and we could not experience everlasting life. There would be no purpose for us. We could never be in God’s Kingdom, which is why God created us in the first place!

The immediate future for the entire world is heading towards a destructive and terrible time, leading to the Great Tribulation, as the Bible predicts, and it is unavoidable, since mankind is unwilling to repent and change.  At the same time, we know what God has in store for us when Jesus Christ returns. We will experience the end to all the misery, so we can finally live a peaceful and eternal life in God’s Kingdom, and teach mankind God’s Way of happiness and tranquility, and that too is inevitable and unavoidable.

After the death of Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong and the doctrinal changes which were made, many people who once believed and held on to the truth simply walked away. They accepted false teachings such as eating unclean food, keeping worldly holidays, forsaking the weekly Sabbath and God’s annual Holy Days, as well as tithing, and, in essence, they lost everything they once held to be true.  But the craziest thing is how FAST they lost the knowledge of the truth when they turned away from it.

How does something like this happen?

How do people, who have devoted their entire lives to something, just give up and walk away?

The answer, simply put, is they never truly loved God’s Way of Life. They never inculcated it into their everyday doings. And so, when lawlessness came, their resolve, their LOVE for God was not truly there (Matthew 24:12).

1 Timothy 4:1-2 accurately describes the condition of those who left—and those who WILL leave in the not-too-distant future. We see that their conscience is seared. Once someone’s conscience is no longer willing to be led by the truth, because they refuse to overcome or ask for forgiveness, then God cannot work with that individual anymore and so the veil that had prevented godly understanding but that was lifted, once again covers that person (2 Corinthians 3:14-16; 4:3).  Ephesians 4:18-19 goes on to describe the life of Gentiles who live as we once did, who have become callous because they don’t understand, and so their repeated sins have no means of escape.

When the man of sin manifests himself (2 Thessalonians 2:1-9), he will come with the deceptive powers of Satan and he will cause those who are NOT strong in the faith—those who are not fully loving God—to fall away. Deception comes in many forms.

Now is the day and the hour for us to change our ways and seek a relationship with God—to set our minds and our hearts on full obedience. Matthew 24:13 says that while many will turn away, those who endure and press on in faith and confidence, will be saved. Those  who love God with everything that is in them will escape the terrible times to come and will stand before the returning Jesus Christ (Matthew 22:37). We have to be found loving God more than anything else in this world. Family, work, money, anything can take the place of God in our lives if we allow it to. But we must not permit this to happen. Verse 14 also shows that the gospel of the Kingdom of God will continue to be preached in all the world so that the end can come. If we don’t show God that we care now, then we too may fall away in the future.

The Work of God will not fail. It will be accomplished, just as all the other things that He has prophesied.  We can choose to either be a part of God’s plan, or we can choose to not be. No minister, no member, no other person can make that choice for each of us. It is a very individual decision. Let us make sure we have our hearts tuned correctly and our minds and souls ready for the return of Jesus Christ, so we can be told: “Well done, good and faithful servants.”

So called, “Fake News,” makes it difficult to accept what we read or hear. “Alternative facts” in political statements leave us wondering what we can really believe.

In a recent issue of Time Magazine (March 23, 2017), the cover image asked a startling question: “Is Truth Dead?” The subject of this cover and an article in the issue was President Donald Trump–about the way he has handled truth and falsehood in his career and now as president. Mr. Trump has become the focus of constant fact-checking reporting. His seemingly contradictory statements have dismayed world leaders. Confidence in United States leadership is now severely eroded.

This is but one example, and we certainly understand that the battle between truth and deception is a global concern and that it is orchestrated by the ruler of this age—Satan the Devil (2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 5:19). He is called “a liar and the father of it,” by Jesus. Satan rules this world by lying, and the world believes him (Revelation 12:9). It is little wonder, then, that human leaders follow the lead of Satan.

However, what we are witnessing is a smothering of truth as falsehood GAINS POWER in the world. Of our time, God says:

“In transgressing and lying against the LORD, And departing from our God, Speaking oppression and revolt, Conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands afar off; For truth is fallen in the street, And equity cannot enter. SO TRUTH FAILS, And he who departs from evil makes himself a prey…” (Isaiah 59:13-15).

Knowing that his time to rule is short (Revelation 12:12), Satan will especially attack those who have the TRUTH. The reason the people of God—Christians—will suffer persecution is because we know and practice the TRUTH!

While headlines in the news may focus on the veracity of a particular statement by various leaders or their aides, the bigger picture is more foreboding. Worldwide deception—supported by miraculous signs—is coming!

It will be against this backdrop of all-encompassing deceit that the Church of God will stand up for and stand in the TRUTH. It is what we are to be doing now, as well. It is the fulfilling of our commission to preach the TRUTH—the good news of the coming Kingdom of God!

The headline in an article in the magazine “The Week” on April 14th 2017, caught my eye.   It said: “Pence: When Does Christian Virtue Become Sexism?”

What was the problem?  Mr Pence is the Vice-President of the USA and is devout to his Christian beliefs.   He refuses to eat alone with a woman who is not his wife, or work late with a female aide, or attend any party where alcohol is being served unless Karen Pence, his wife of 31 years, is at his side.

Other newspapers and outlets took up the story.   One commentator wrote: “How sexist! screamed half of the internet. This is akin to Salafism, argued others.  Conservative Christians who attempted to stand up for Pence were quickly shouted down.”

Hmmm….some of these writers have never taken the time to look at biblical principles.   Perhaps they are not interested – or just plain ignorant? – or probably both!

It was written that “the vice president’s rule is a variation of what is known in evangelical circles as the ‘Billy Graham Rule.’ Billy Graham famously refused to meet, travel, or dine with a woman alone. The presumed reasoning behind this rule was that Graham did not want to create the conditions that might lead to any extramarital dalliances or, given Graham’s ministry, the mere appearance of any impropriety that would harm his ability to win souls to Christ. Many, many evangelical pastors and laymen still follow some version of this rule.

“Those outside the Church should know the Billy Graham Rule has come under a lot of criticism within the Church. It’s increasingly recognized that the Billy Graham Rule is sexist in practice if not in theory.”

To quote from all of the many articles written on this subject would cover many pages of this Editorial, but I would like to just quote a few to show exactly what Christians are up against.   We are under fire again!

The NewYorker.com opined that “President Trump and his straight laced VP have something in common.   They share a stated inability to resist women.”   The Washington Post wrote that “we’ve learned that Pence, too, is evidently helpless in the face of female temptation.”   The lack of understanding by the writer is breathtaking and their logic seriously flawed.   They add up two and two and come up with five but so many will just believe what they read!

The Cosmopolitan.com stated that Pence’s view of women as sirens and his fear of his own sinful nature put the women who work beneath and around him at a huge, albeit very familiar, disadvantage.

TheAtlantic.com took the view that “treating people in workplaces differently based on their gender inevitably hurts women’s careers.”

The UK Guardian newspaper had an article which said: “And while Pence trended on Twitter for his old-school sexism, what went largely unremarked on was that the vice-president cast the tie-breaking vote to push forward legislation that allows states to discriminate against Planned Parenthood and other healthcare providers that provide abortion when giving out federal Title X funds.  Pence is a misogynist. We know it from his voting record, we know it from the things that he’s said about women’s rights and now we know it because of his odd personal rule not to dine with women alone. But let’s not let one man’s sexism distract us from his whole party’s sexist agenda.”

It is easy to see how a person’s character can be blackened just because his beliefs and actions don’t conform to the liberal agenda which has been foisted on a gullible public for some years now.   They would have you believe that Mr Pence is helpless in the face of temptation, his actions hurt women’s careers and put them at a disadvantage and that he is a misogynist and sexist because he voted against the murder of the unborn (abortion).    What twisting of correct behaviour of an individual by those who seem to have a death wish for all reasonable and sensible conduct!

The Church of God for decades has taken a very similar stance to that of Mr Pence when addressing the issue of private meetings between an unmarried couple. We have to remember that Satan is more cunning and powerful than any human being, and he will do everything in his power to throw a true Christian off the path to eternal life.   Temptations can come in many forms and we read in 1 Corinthians 6:18: “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.”   Also in 2 Timothy 2:22: “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”

If we don’t put ourselves in potentially compromising situations, we will avoid the pitfalls that have plagued so many by the temptations that may confront them.   We have our own tendencies to sin but this can be reduced considerably by staying close to God.   Ephesians 5:11 is instructive in this regard: “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them,” as the apostle Paul instructs us to walk in the light.

In addition, we read in 1 Thessalonians 5:22: “Abstain from all appearance of evil” (Authorized Version) and in Romans 13:14: “… put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”

These are simple enough admonitions that can have the liberals apoplectic with rage but such biblical instructions simply have pre-eminence over any and all of the utterings of man.

It’s easy to become discouraged when trying to live our life in a way that is at odds with the mainstream ideals of the world. Quite simply, a Christian life in this age could be a hard one. When we choose to apply godly virtue and obedience in our thoughts and actions, we choose to elevate our standards for the sake of pleasing God, not man. Often, taking this course of action will be opposed to social norms and expectations of our peers, and on occasion, it could even be in conflict with the laws of the land. There is no shortage of pressure to conform to the ways of the world, and compromise our Christian convictions.  As the Bible forebodes, “… Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:14).

Even though it might be “a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (compare Hebrews 10:31) and while it is an ongoing challenge to commit our lives to righteousness, we must realize that we will be successful if we don’t give up. The Gospel of the Kingdom of God explains that it is God’s great pleasure to give us eternal life. From the beginning, God’s plan involved challenging mankind to overcome our carnal nature, and not succumb to sin. Certainly, this way of life is at times a hard one, but it is not impossible to pursue it.

God knows that everyone He calls will struggle to succeed, and for this reason He offers tremendous support. To begin with, the Holy Spirit of God the Father and of Jesus Christ dwells within everyone who has been properly baptized, strengthening righteous convictions and granting godly understanding. This gift provides a necessary means of overcoming sin. But the support provided by the Holy Spirit alone is not enough. We must apply our own effort to repent of our sins, and conform our behavior to righteousness. To face this challenge can be intimidating, and even induce fear of failure.

Something that should give us comfort when we face fear and discouragement in living a Christian life is that we’re not alone. Countless people have faced the same challenges and emerged successfully. I believe that it is safe to say that all of them needed encouragement.

When Joshua was leading the nation of Israel into the Promised Land, God recognized that he needed encouragement. As the story begins, he is encouraged repeatedly, but the best summary can be found in Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” God was aware of the great challenge that Joshua faced and anticipated that he might react fearfully. Bringing hundreds of thousands of people into a land filled with foreigners must have been a daunting responsibility. But Joshua followed God’s instructions, providing us with a tremendous example of faith. Joshua overcame any fear in large part because he was encouraged by the promises made by God.

In the letters that Paul wrote, there is a strong theme of encouragement in most of them. Many of the people in the young church congregations had their own unique struggles. In some cases, Paul had to admonish and correct their behavior, but even so, it was for the purpose of encouraging them to get on the right track and overcome sin. Paul recognized that it was important to encourage those who were struggling so that people did not become disheartened by the difficulty of living a Christian life and give up.

In his letter to Timothy, Paul offers some very personal encouragement. He writes, “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:6-7). Timothy is reminded by Paul about his commission, and that he has nothing to be afraid of when facing the challenges faced in fulfilling his ministry. Even though these reminders were sent to Timothy intending to give him some individual encouragement nearly 2,000 years ago, we too should be encouraged by these same words. When we have the Holy Spirit, we can stir it up and put it to work, overcoming sin, and replacing it with godly love. This is God’s purpose for us (compare 2 Timothy 1:9).

Certainly, we can find encouragement through the knowledge of God’s purpose for us and through the words of the Bible, but encouragement must not end once we receive it. On the contrary, we have a responsibility to perpetuate it. “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 10:24-25). As Christian brethren, we must remember to offer strength to others. Even when we might feel weak ourselves, an encouraging reassurance offered to someone else can be extremely helpful. As much as we might need encouragement ourselves, we need to offer encouragement to others as well.

There is no question that we can find many reasons to be discouraged in our Christian walk, if that’s where we focus our attention. However, these are poisonous distractions. Rather than focusing on the “reasons” why we might fail, we must remember to nurture our sources of positive encouragement that lead us to success. We find strength from our brethren, from the words of the Bible, and above all, from God’s faith in us.