As my wife and I have welcomed our second son into the world, I was struck with many emotions when I first heard his cry, and subsequently, when I was able to hold him and look at him. I would think that for most parents, there is no love that quite compares with being able to hold your child in your arms. God has truly designed an amazing way to keep the human race growing. There are so many things that science has taught us about this process, but there is also so much that we may never fully understand until we are God beings and can totally comprehend all of God’s knowledge.  In Psalm 139:13-16, David contemplated the reality of the conception and birth of a child, and he gave thanks to God for this. All of creation is an amazing example of God’s power, strength, foresight and love.

God wants to enlarge His spiritual Family through man. As the Bible shows, He started this growth process with two physical human beings. His command to them was to be fruitful and multiply. Genesis 1:28 reveals that this process of human creation is a blessing. In addition, Psalm 82:6 makes clear that God has planned from the outset that man should become God. But 1 Corinthians 15:49-50 shows us that we, as physical human beings, cannot become God beings. Something else is needed.

One of the most famous Scriptures is John 3:16, which states “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” This Scripture is part of God’s plan for us. Without this ultimate Sacrifice, both on the part of God the Father and Christ His Son, there would be no way for us to become Spirit beings.

God loves His creation. Genesis 1:31 tells us: “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.”  And yet, people have been trying to ignore and reject God (Romans 1:20-21). Some have even denied His very existence. But God will still carry out His plan and give everyone a fair opportunity to become a part of His Family.

The fact that God is recreating Himself is basic knowledge that the Church of God has been teaching for a long time. Please read any of our free literature on this subject, as well as one of our Q&A’s for a more in-depth analysis, titled, “When we are born-again members of the God Family, what will we be, and what powers and abilities will we have?”.

God’s ultimate plan for ALL of humanity is reaching its tipping point. God has truly shown us that He loves all people, and that He wants the best for everyone. But due to Satan’s evil deception and man’s ignorance and selfishness, chastisement and education are necessary before man is able to comprehend his ultimate potential.

The question is, what do we want for ourselves? What do we want for others? What are we willing to do about it? God wants us to be His children—obedient and willing to do without question what He commands, so that we can make it into the Kingdom of God and help others to reach their incredible potential as well. Our time is short. Let us be obedient children.

Are there really any consequences for how we live? In the great scheme of things, does it actually matter whether or not we follow a code of conduct—especially, one established by God? Consider what God set before His people, Israel:

“‘I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them’” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20).

The Bible reveals that very few of the Israelites made the right choice, and the underlying reason is summed up in the last chapter of the Book of Judges: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). Government was missing and people became a law unto themselves.

In a time of Israel’s abject paganism (and this is prophetically picturing our day), Jeremiah was inspired to write:

“O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. O LORD, correct me, but with justice; Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing” (Jeremiah 10:23-24).

But who will take correction? Surely, all of the Old Testament was written for carnal people, but I am a Christian, one might say. I can figure things out on my own, because I have been baptized and I have God’s Holy Spirit—Jesus Christ lives in me!

Tragically, the rebellious attitude which corrupted and defiled the people of God in ancient times still remains! However, Christians—above all people—are expected to be led by God. That leading from God will include correction:

“And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: ‘My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.’ If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?… Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:5-7, 11).

How, then, do Christians receive correction? Does God send an angel or a prophet to rebuke you? Does Jesus Christ appear in a vision to warn you? Even though those things have occurred in times past, people still chose their own paths.

Today, Christians receive correction through the Word of God by obeying what is revealed, but there is more. God has established His Church, led by Jesus Christ, to administer God’s government among Christians—and that includes correction.  Additionally—and this is critically important—each one of us must willingly receive correction by submitting ourselves to the clear understanding of God’s Will.

Life and death are set before us. We, as Christians, are making a choice of eternal death or eternal life! What matters for us is that we choose eternal life—and that might just be determined by how we receive correction from God!

I was recently listening to the radio in the car and just caught the end of a conversation. I thought that I had heard everything but this was extreme. It was said that there were over 50 sexual orientation descriptions. I had read that a school in England a while ago had given a questionnaire to young people to see how they saw themselves from a list of over 20 definitions which, in itself was staggering, but over 50?

When I got home I googled this.   What I found was that the website www.thedailybeast.com stated the following: “It’s Complicated.  What Each of Facebook’s 51 New Gender Options Means.  For ten years, the social network limited billions of people identifying as either male or female. Now there are dozens of terms to pick from. Here’s how to understand them all.”   It then lists the definitions of all 51 genders.

Reading some of these definitions would be very amusing if it wasn’t so serious. I wonder how many reading this editorial, who have Facebook accounts, realised that Facebook was into this sort of thing?   It was quite shocking to think a seemingly harmless social networking site had been willing to go along with such perversion, and a site which now has two billion active users which is quite a sphere of influence!

As Christians, we should always ask ourselves: “Is this in accordance with Biblical instruction?” and “What must God think about this?”

First of all, we know that in the beginning God created man and woman (see Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2:21-24). He didn’t create 51 different genders, He created just two, and in Genesis 1:31 we read: “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good…”  Therefore, God created just two genders, and to God it was very good!

Man comes along and two genders are not good enough for him. Of course, it has taken nearly 6,000 years to get to this stage, but it has been in the pipeline for quite some time with this being foisted on humanity through the “frog in boiling water” principle, and we know who is really the author of it all.  It is confusion.

God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), but Satan is. He is the author of all that is wrong and evil; he is a liar and the father of it (John 8:44); he deceives the whole world (Revelation 12:9); and “he has great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time,” referring to the end of this age (Revelation 12:12). Just about everything that is wrong in society has Satan at the root of it all, and giving a list of 51 supposed different gender definitions causes confusion–and it IS confusion.

This sort of nonsense is another sign of how far society has degenerated, but unfortunately, it is now common currency with the younger generation who have had this foisted on them without realising it.  In fact, for many, it seems to be a badge of honour to be different from normality – and the Way of God! How tough it must be for parents with young children today who, if they realise it is perversion, have to combat this approach and mindset.

It is yet another manifestation of Isaiah 5:20-21: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!  Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!” This gender confusion fits into this category perfectly.

Let us make sure that we recognise the ruses of Satan at this end time, of which this is one!

For as long as I can remember, I have had a certain weakness. It’s an innocuous one, but regardless, I’ve been affected by it numerous times in my life, and I will probably continue to be affected by it. My weakness is that whenever someone tells me that he or she thinks that I would be good at doing something, I’m inclined to believe that I can do it too. In addition, almost every sincere claim results in me giving it a try, as long as it is not an ungodly venture, of course. The statements don’t even need to be based on much. I once joined a soccer team because the coach saw me kick a single ball, and asked if I would like to play. Sometimes my attempts at an endeavor that begins with another’s belief in me result in success, but quite often failure.

I recall an early example when I was a member of a Tee-ball team at my grade school. My best friend’s father was the coach of the team, and he told me that he thought I would be a good catcher. In Tee-Ball, the batters hit a baseball from a tee instead of from a pitch, so the role of a catcher only involves catching a ball when a runner is coming into home base. Because of this, I really didn’t have to do very much. I thought that I would be a good catcher too, so I gave it a try. After losing our first couple of games, I was moved to the position that I was destined for—right field. Since I didn’t have to actually catch many balls in that position, I did much better. In this case, I really wasn’t very good at what someone thought that I would be, but I recall giving it my best effort because someone believed in me.

Something that I have become aware of through experience is that when others express their faith in me, I feel like I’m not alone in a pursuit of success. When someone else is involved in my own personal achievement, the support is a huge motivator. As a result, the activities that I get involved in are more meaningful, fulfilling, and even easier when I know that I have someone else standing behind me. I’m sure that many of those reading this share the same feeling – being supported in the pursuit of a virtuous endeavor is extremely motivating.

While I may find that the support and belief of other people in my abilities might sometimes be misplaced, God’s belief in me and His support are not. God’s faith gives me confidence that I can achieve the tasks He sets before me. This is true for all of us. If we find motivation when we are supported by another person, how much more should we be encouraged when we read this, “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9).  God is faithful in us! Knowing that the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth believes in us should give us all the support, encouragement, and edification that we need to continue trying our best to answer the call that He has given us! God has faith that we can succeed in the great task of overcoming sin through Jesus Christ.  We can do this because God the Father believes that we can!

The proof of this godly support abounds in the Bible, and when it is all taken together, it should offer us tremendous and unquenchable encouragement. God calls us to perform a job for a purpose, and not for the purpose of failure. No, we must be encouraged to succeed, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). If God has blessed us with the understanding of the Truth, this gives us the evidence that He has faith in us, individually.

With the faith of God supporting us, and with His Holy Spirit working within us, we have all the raw materials that we need to succeed in turning away from sin to live a life that seeks the Kingdom of God. If we neglect the support that God provides, this is tantamount to choosing death. God can do nothing more to help us if we turn away from Him. However, if we accept His support and allow His Spirit to lead us to righteousness, we are promised salvation. We must always remember, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

One of the great temptations in the life of a Christian is the desire to determine the exact date of Christ’s return. The early apostles wanted to know the exact time, and even though Christ told them that it was not for them to know (Acts 1:6-7); that God’s Kingdom would not appear immediately (Luke 19:11); and that He would return at an unexpected time (Matthew 24:44); it seems that even the apostle Paul thought for a while that he would still be alive at the time of Christ’s return (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

Over the centuries, Christians expected to experience firsthand the Second Coming of Christ, and they were confident that this would occur at a certain time. When it did not happen, many became frustrated and disappointed. The Church of God in the 20^th and 21^st centuries is no exception. Various dates would be proposed, which seemingly were convincing and compelling, as they were supposedly based on biblical “indications,” such as 19-year time cycles or calculations adopted from the book of Daniel. When the dates came and went, and Christ had still not returned, it was argued that God had simply delayed Christ’s Coming, and new dates were proposed, which likewise failed.

These erroneous and futile calculations, which were from the outset destined to failure, led to disillusionment, and many members lost confidence in their leadership and left their church organization. Others stayed, willing to “overlook” the miscalculations of well-meaning, but misguided ministers, but their willingness to follow the ministry had diminished, and, quite often, an underlying spirit of rebellion and self-will developed. In addition, some of those who pointed out past mistakes brought in damnable heresies, and while they found support from many gullible and undiscerning members, they set in motion the beginning of the prophesied end-time departure or “falling away” from the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:1-2). The blind were now leading the blind, so that both fell into the ditch (Matthew 15:14).

When focusing on the status of the Church of God today, due to the experiences of the past, some true and loyal members might be inclined to believe that Christ will not come back any time soon (2 Peter 3:1-4; Isaiah 5:19), and some may become complacent or distracted by getting involved with other pursuits (Matthew 24:37-39, 45-51).

The problem with this attitude and its bad consequences is clearly described in Scripture (2 Peter 3:5-10). Whatever the apparently convincing “justification” for such thinking may be, the fact remains that Christ promised that He will return, and He gave us signs to focus on, indicating when His return would be near (Matthew 24:32-34). Sadly, in the past, many in the Church did not correctly evaluate these signs, while looking at events which were not really signs for Christ’s Second Coming. Since the knowledge and the understanding of the truth would increase in the last days, we are today in a unique position to evaluate world events in the light of biblical prophecy (2 Peter 3:18; Daniel 12:9; Jeremiah 23:20).

In this week’s Q&A, we write much about end-time prophecy, and it behooves all of us to take careful note of what we report regularly in our weekly Current Events section. Although we won’t make the mistake of setting dates, we are aware that prophesied end-time events are finding their fulfillment all over the world. The next major event in world affairs is the beginning of the Great Tribulation. Even though we do not know when this will occur, we do observe developments on the world scene which are setting the stage for this unparalleled and unique time in the history of mankind. Christ warned us that those days must be shortened to ensure the very survival of physical life on this planet. He reassures us that He will return before it is too late, to make an end to man’s incompetent rule leading to utter destruction, mayhem, and nuclear war (Matthew 24:21-22).

It is our belief that His return is not THAT far away, and that we are entering the final days of human suffering and misrule (Ezekiel 12:25-28). God is true and faithful, and His words stand forever and will by no means pass away (Matthew 24:35). What He has promised, He will do (Isaiah 46:10), and He did promise that pursuant to His plan and timing, He will send back His Son Jesus Christ to usher in a wonderful new world. It has been said that Christ will not come one second too early, but He will not come one second too late, either. We must get ready for His return, and we are told to begin “today” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-6; Hebrews 2:1; 3:12-13; 4:11).

Ancient Israel had a proclivity to turn away from God and inculcate the beliefs and practices of the pagan nations around them. Many laws and warnings were set forth to shield God’s chosen nation from that ungodliness. But as we know from the examples left for us in the Bible, Israel often failed to heed those warnings, and dire consequences followed. Jeremiah records God’s thoughts directed towards the inhabitants of Jerusalem; a city besieged by Nebuchadnezzar:

“ ‘For this city has been to Me a provocation of My anger and My fury from the day that they built it, even to this day; so I will remove it from before My face because of all the evil of the children of Israel and the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke Me to anger—they, their kings, their princes, their priests, their prophets, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem’ ” (Jeremiah 32:31-32).

What would cause this reaction from God?  Jeremiah continues, “ ‘But they set their abominations in the house which is called by My name, to defile it. And they built the high places of Baal which are in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech, which I did not command them, nor did it come into My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin’ ” (Jeremiah 32:34-35). This sacrifice of children was abhorrent to God and was beyond what He could have imagined Israel taking part in.  The modern-day descendants of those twelve tribes have lowered themselves into even more detestable behavior in this end-time age.  In 2013 the Centers for Disease Control states that “664,435 legal induced abortions” took place in the United States that year. The agency reports more than 43 million abortions since they started taking data in 1970.

This growing infant genocide is no longer a backroom-hidden activity as more and more of our political and religious leaders accept this act. In an article from lifenews.com, dated Jan 12, 2017, entitled, “Religious Leaders Bless Opening of New Planned Parenthood Abortion Clinic, Call It ‘Sacred Work,’ “a growing acceptance of abortions from religious leaders is highlighted by the attendance of more than 20 religious groups. One of the administrators of the new “mega-facility” stated, “ ‘In almost every message to our staff, I talk about our doing sacred work,’ Dr. Laura Meyers, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, told the news outlet. ‘This confirms the sacredness of the work we do.’ ” The article continues, “ ‘I’ve been a Christian longer than I’ve been an abortion provider,’ said Willie Parker, who is about as close as the reproductive choice movement gets to a rock star. ‘Women have been made to think that this [clinic] is so some evil place, where God is not,’ he continued, pointing out the people ‘cursing [women] for making sacred decisions. Our answer to the curse is to bless.’ ”

The very same influence that caused Israel to accept the demonic worship of Molech continues to drive modern man away from God. Satan’s influence is overwhelming and all-encompassing to the blind. Without God opening man’s mind, it is truly impossible to determine what is right or wrong.  Vigilance for that precious truth is the lifeline we must hold fast as this age ends.

According to the human calendar of Western civilization, we have now entered the “New Year.”  The “holiday” season has just passed, referring to Christmas and New Year’s Day. We know that we are not supposed to be celebrating these man-made holidays because we understand that they are pagan and God never commanded us to observe them.  In fact, He commands us not to do so. The world views their New Year as a brand new start.   True Christians also experience a brand new start but in a different way and at a different time.

First of all, according to God’s Hebrew calendar and the Bible, we know that God’s New Year doesn’t start in the dead of winter. In Exodus 12:1-2 we have a pretty good indication when the New Year would begin for us.  This is when Passover starts, followed by the Days of Unleavened Bread, the start of the Spring Holy Days, usually at the end of March or early April.  Notice here that the New Year begins in the Spring, when everything is springing back to life, when everything is in bloom – when a renewal occurs.

We have all heard the saying or heard people say what they will do at the start of the “New Year”; what their “New Year’s resolutions” are; and what their new goals are going to be.  A lot of the times however, it is only a mere saying; something that really isn’t taken all that seriously, and before February comes, those “New Year’s resolutions” have been forgotten or broken.  And then the next year comes, and those same goals and resolutions are repeated without any positive outcome.

Is this what we do every year?  Do we also make goals for ourselves or new resolutions in which we commit to bettering ourselves and learning from our past mistakes?  We actually must do this, but not during the same time the world celebrates New Year’s Day.  The difference here is that we have to take it seriously, by learning from our mistakes and realizing that we SHOULD accomplish our GOALS – our goals of keeping God’s commandments.  We do this during God’s New Year, in the Spring, during Passover when we re-commit to God and reconfirm our covenant with Him; when we repent of our sins; and when we ask Him for forgiveness, by refocusing on the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  This is the time of reflection as well.  When we take the Passover seriously, our slate of sin will be swept clean. Our renewal occurs, so that we can continue striving for perfection. This process is also symbolized by the foot-washing ceremony (compare John 13:10).

Before we took the Passover, we were given a new life when we entered into God’s Family as Spirit-begotten members and we received His Spirit of power.  We had to repent from all of our sins and start our new life and live in the way we were commanded to do.  This was during our baptism which was necessary for us to be permitted to later partake of the Passover so that we can continue living God’s Way and ultimately inherit eternal life.  We were dead and now we are alive (compare Romans 6:1-14).  Just like the ways of this world are dead, but the Way of God is life.  This world celebrates the New Year in the dead of winter while God’s New Year is in the Spring, picturing renewal and fullness of life.

We know just how tricky Satan can be and how he deceives this whole world.  New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are viewed by many as a time for partying, a day of celebration, but many fail to realize their pagan origin as they party into the night, welcoming a new start of the “New Year.”

Our “New Year’s resolutions” must occur at our baptism when we become a new man, and each year during the Passover season when we reconfirm our covenant with God, repent, and are cleansed of our sins.  We are here for a reason; to grow towards God’s perfection and to be good examples to others. This is where our true focus should be.

For those of us who have been around for a long time, we remember the talk in the late 60’s about God’s Church fleeing to a place of safety in 1972, then in about 1985; and more recently, 2017 was proposed as the year of Christ’s return, allegedly following an imagined “seven year contract” between the “beast” and other nations and 3 ½ years of Great Tribulation. None of that has been remotely accurate. Then there were other dates proposed, but in each case the score has been zero for accuracy. The reason is, no human being knows the date of Christ’s return, and it is rather foolish to draft up charts and speculations about the time, since in Christ’s own words, not even He knows the exact date, but only the Father knows, as He will decide as to when He will send Christ back to this earth.

Mark 13:32 quotes Christ as follows: “But of that day and that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

So if one wants to pursue futility and engage in a waste of time, then one can try to “figure it out.” But what is really important to God is to come out of the world, by God’s mercy, and if we endure to the end, we will be saved and enter God’s Kingdom. Matthew 10:22 tells us:  “And you will be hated of all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.”

All of us are getting older, but we must push on and finish the job we have been given. The Church has not yet finished its commission to preach the gospel to the world as a witness, but the time will come when sufficient testimony will have been given to the last generation, and God promises He will take care of those who faithfully carry out the task at hand. We must not neglect our spiritual growth in the process, but coupled with our God-given responsibility to preach the gospel, we become, as it were, the “complete” man.

What lies ahead, prior to Christ’s return? Will we live in a better, peaceful world? Not according to the Word of God. Instead, we can expect more problems, more wars, terrorist attacks and a general deterioration of the moral fiber of America, Canada, the UK and all nations around the world.  Some of us may not be around in a few years from now and there will be new faces in the Church to pick up the challenges, but the work  must and will go on. Otherwise, Christ could not return, but He will, as He is the ultimate solution to all the problems in the world. He must return to save mankind from itself.

Matthew 24:22 gives us this frightening prophecy, and at the same time, this reassuring promise:  “And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved, but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.”

Will we face problems and challenges? The answer is yes, but when the going gets tough, the tough get going. That is not to say that we should get calloused about our job; rather, we have to do it zealously, knowing that it is for the ultimate good of mankind.

The category we want to be in when Christ does return is framed in Mathew 25:21:  “His lord said unto him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'”

Human beings often seek the newest, greatest thing. Instead of being content with what they have, they want to get more and more. This was Satan’s downfall. He was not happy with the office God appointed him to. He wanted more and more. Eventually, he was thrown to the earth, and we know what his final outcome will be.

As we get ready to move into 2017, people in society often make “New Year’s Resolutions.” These are frequently short lived ideas that carry on for a little while and then fade away. We must be careful that we do not have this type of attitude. After the Feast of Tabernacles, we usually find ourselves invigorated and ready to carry on the good fight. But what happens to our resolve a few months down the road?

As we look at the deteriorating world around us, we are often reminded that these things MUST happen so that the end may come. Matthew 24:5-14 shows us the climate that we will witness before the return of Jesus Christ. The work of preaching the Gospel is our duty, even as we see the love of many growing cold. This will not happen to us if we are setting the right goals and are consistently moving towards them.

Luke 12:31-32, 34 states: “But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Where do we put our treasures? Do we horde them? Do we give them away? Are we constantly thinking about how we can fulfill this Scripture in our lives? We do this through the things we think, say and do. Our hearts need to be devoted in learning how to draw closer to God and Christ, so we can stay strong and ever ready—putting forth our best effort so that we shine as examples to those around us. We can be joyful at all times, through thick and thin, because we have the promise of God that we will be in His Kingdom if we hold fast.

This is not new information. These are things we have heard time and again. But truly, as we move into 2017, what will happen in our lives? Will the Scriptures of turning cold and falling away apply to any of us? Or will the opposite be true and will we walk away from 2017 into 2018 as a stronger and more faithful people? We have to decide that we want God’s Way of Life more than ANYTHING else in this world. Matthew 10:38 tells us that we need to take our cross and follow after Christ. Either we will be worthy or we will be unworthy. These are the two choices set before us. Which choice will we make?