In the British parliamentary system, there is the ruling party and the opposition.   On the website www.parliament.co.uk the following is written:

“The Opposition are the political parties other than the largest or government party. They are called the Opposition because they sit on the benches opposite the Government in the House of Commons and House of Lords Chambers. The largest of the Opposition parties is known as Her Majesty’s Official Opposition. The role of the Official Opposition is to question and scrutinise the work of government. In the House of Commons the Leader of the Opposition is the title given to the leader of the second largest party.”

The dictionary definition of “opposition” is: “resistance or dissent, expressed in action or argument.”

Synonyms are: “resistance, hostility, antagonism, antipathy, enmity, objection, dissent, criticism, defiance, non-compliance, obstruction, obstructiveness, counteraction.”

Those definitions don’t give a positive view of “the opposition”.   In fact, that is usually how it turns out to be.   Not very often do “the opposition” agree with the government; in fact quite the contrary as they have different political agendas and feel that they can’t be seen as being cooperative as that would boost the prestige and support of the government itself.

(We are not saying, of course, that the government is always right and that the opposition is always wrong or that there is never a time to disagree with the concepts or the way in which the government handles things. In this world which is cut off from God, disagreement with the government’s position on just about any given topic is more likely than not, but the opposition’s proposals are, in all likelihood, unacceptable as well. What we are saying is that God’s standards and methods are quite different from the way in which the government and the opposition are conducting themselves.)

The term “the opposition” can have a very negative connotation and can be divisive.  How about using a term that will be a constant in the world tomorrow when Jesus Christ rules on earth in the Kingdom of God?   That word is cooperation.   If the term was changed at this time to “the cooperation”, hands would be thrown in the air and would be deemed to be inappropriate or impossible.

Of course, in the age when Satan is in control of society, there is no way that he would want cooperation and would see to it that it would not happen.   He is the opposition particularly to God and the people of God and also to the rest of humanity.   He doesn’t want to see people happy and cooperating with each other.

Rather than unity and cooperation, Satan has promoted, very successfully, enmity and division.  We read in Matthew 24:12 when talking about the end times: “And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.   And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.”

This is a result of the activity of the one who wants to undermine everything positive and see the demise of humanity.  It may seem a small thing about calling Members of Parliament who are not part of the ruling group as the opposition, but this strikes at the heart of UK governance.   Opposition can have a negative feel about it and that is one of many things that Satan wants to promote.

In the coming Kingdom of God there will be total cooperation and the government will be absolutely unified as they do everything possible to promote God’s way of life to those living at that time.

Cooperation is the way of God and the way that we must adopt, promote and clearly reflect in our Christian lives now and is the way that we will live forever as members of the God Family.   And it will promote happiness as never before!

Last week there was a credible threat of a violent attack targeting some of the federal agencies close to the one that I work with. Nearby in Fort Collins an entire campus of federal offices was shut down, forcing hundreds of employees to be turned away from work. As the news broke in my office, very little information was known, and what was known was delivered through a wide variety of different sources. The rumors made quite a swirl throughout the morning – some made it sound like the threat was imminent, and others made it sound fictional.

My own work place was in a different, but related federal facility than the one directly threatened, but everyone that we work with still had to make a decision about what to do for themselves. On the one hand, the threat seemed remote and unrealistic, but on the other hand, our office seemed like it could be a legitimate target. In the interest of playing it safe, dozens of people working in a different branch in the building were sent home. It was a surreal moment as I contemplated how to handle the situation for myself and the team that I manage. It was truly difficult to judge from the information that we had if this was a threat that was credible enough for us to take drastic actions.

Fortunately, nothing significant came from this event, and normal life resumed the following day. But to me, this event was a reminder of how quickly and unexpectedly something serious can occur in the world we live in and trigger panic. As the anniversary of the tragic September 11^th attacks approaches this year, I recall what that day was like. It was just like any other day. I went to work for the day, just as I normally did, and by the time I had arrived two jets had crashed into the twin towers in New York City. In that ten minute commute, the world had changed. But it was going to be “just another day.”

The event last week also reminded me of even more important things, which are recorded in God’s Word. As comfortable as we may be in this modern age, a simple catastrophic event, or even a rumor of an event, can strike as quickly and unexpectedly as a bolt of lightning. And so we have been warned, “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief” (1 Thessalonians 5:2-4). Even though the day of the Lord will come as a thief, when we may be having an otherwise regular day, it is also something that we have been made aware of far ahead of time. We may be surprised at how unpredictably the events might unfold, but we will not be caught completely off-guard if we pay attention to warnings and watch for the signs of the times, as the Bible instructs.

Even if the events of fulfilled prophecy happen on a day when we have not planned for a catastrophic event to occur, we can rest assured that the instructions that we have in the Bible will successfully guide us. The only thing that we can do is rely on God’s protection. We cannot, and must not, rely on our own wit or strength to protect us. “But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield” (Psalm 5:11-12). When catastrophe strikes and threatens our safety and well-being, we can and must have faith in God to lead us to safety.

Last week as I contemplated how to respond to a threat of a violent attack, the thought that I need to rely on God—and only God—tempered every fear that I had. I wasn’t sure what judgment was right, but I was unwavering in my confidence that God would offer protection in the time of need.

With this Update, we will begin to publish several Q&As, discussing the important question pertaining to the manner in which we ought to keep the weekly Sabbath. It is not enough to know about God’s sanctified day; it is also necessary to observe it in the right way. God’s Sabbath was made for MAN (Mark 2:27), and God expects MAN to keep it. The Ten Commandments are still in force and effect, and the Fourth Commandment still reads, “REMEMBER the Sabbath day, to KEEP it holy” (Exodus 20:8).

God’s people know that the Sabbath is the time span from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, even though some misguided religious teachers claim erroneously that the biblical Sabbath is “Sunday.” However, “Sunday” has always been described in the Bible as the “first day of the week,” while the Sabbath has always been identified as the “seventh” or “last day of the week,” when God completed the days of recreation (Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 20:11).

But does God really care whether His Sabbath is kept today? And if He demands that one day is observed in His honor, isn’t it enough to just keep one day (any day) out of seven?

In my recent sermon, “Why Will God Punish America?”, it was explained why God punished Israel and Judah in Old Testament times; and since God does not change and is not a respecter of persons, He will punish the modern descendants of the ancient houses of Israel and Judah for the same reasons. God’s people know that these descendants can be found today in the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and other English-speaking nations. In addition, God will also punish the ENTIRE world for their disobedience of His Law.

The cause for God’s wrath toward mankind has not changed. Idolatry and the breaking of His Sabbath were and are two of the foremost reasons why God did punish and will punish the ancient and modern houses of Israel and Judah. Of course, other reasons existed and exist as well, showing the perversion and appalling ungodliness of Israel, Judah and the entire world, which are, for example, evidenced by the murder of innocent people (including through abortions of unborn children or the killing of innocent civilians in war); wrong political alliances; elections or appointments of leaders contrary to God’s standards; removing ancient landmarks (by illegally occupying territories); national pride, dishonesty and the spreading of lies; the rejection of God’s Law and His warning of impending disaster; adultery and fornication (including homosexuality and other sexual practices which are not condoned by God); false religions, sorceries and hypocritical religious conduct; and even the consumption of unclean meat.

All these reasons, and many more, were discussed in the above-mentioned sermon, and biblical proof was presented for each of these reasons.

But as mentioned, the violation of the Sabbath was and is a very important cause for God’s punishment. Sadly, most people do not ascribe any relevance to God’s command to keep the Sabbath day holy. Even though God’s people know about this command, some may disobey it in practical application. They might not know HOW to observe it—which activities are permitted on the Sabbath, and which are to be avoided. Some might be too strict, prohibiting activities which God allows; and others may have become too liberal, engaging in activities which they should not participate in.

We hope that you will carefully read our Q&A’s on this very important, but sometimes grossly misunderstood subject, in order to escape God’s punishment for the violation of His Sabbath day.

How do we come to a PERFECT understanding? How do we receive PERFECT knowledge? We read in 2 Timothy 3:14-15, “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

We need to make sure that the knowledge we receive is in fact true knowledge by researching and proving our belief from the pages of the Bible. How do we know that the Bible is true? 2 Timothy continues on in verse 16, saying, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” This means the Old and New Testament! The law of the Ten Commandments has NOT been done away with, but it is still in force today. When we put into action what we are commanded to do, we will gain understanding, and with the knowledge that we receive, we will see results.

Preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God to the world as a witness is a challenge. Those in the ministry are to share information that is true and to educate people, through God’s Word, regarding the things they do not know, have not heard before, and have not understood before. We know the Bible is Truth and we share this Truth with others. We simply plant the seed and we allow God to do the rest as people respond to HIS calling, through our actions, which is why it is so important to continue in doing the Work of God because we never know who will respond (compare the parable of the sower in Luke 8:11-15). We plant the seed and have the faith that God will turn that seed into a productive and prosperous fruit. And that goes with everything in our lives that we are involved with, allowing God to guide us and direct our paths.

What separates us from everyone else, from all the other religions out there that claim to be Christian? We are not in the same classification or category, for we are TRUE Christians, set apart from the rest of the world and from all the other Christian religions out there because we proclaim the Truth and those who have an ear will hear (Matthew 11:15). We face rejection many times because we believe in and proclaim the Truth. We want to lead them to true knowledge of God’s Way, thereby giving them a chance to live a better life. We are also offering them protection from the terrible disasters of the end time through, for example, our StandingWatch programs. It’s not easy when we are faced with rejection, which is why we need to remain focused and positive, continuing on just like Paul, David and even Christ did, because the outcome of our actions is very rewarding. The end result is what matters, but we have to get through all the challenges first.   We must remain humble, even when we are faced with harsh criticism, because the time will come when all those to whom we have been proclaiming God’s message will understand and remember what we have told them.

Think back to your calling and when you were introduced to this knowledge. We were once ignorant and in some cases we still may be; but we continue to learn. We won’t stop learning! This is where belief comes in. Do we believe that what we know is the Truth? Do we believe that ALL things are possible through God, IF we believe? Or do we need to have “physical proof” in order to believe? Remember what Christ said in John 20:29, “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed” (compare also Hebrews 11:1, 6).

The knowledge we have received has given us hope, and we offer that same knowledge to others through the preaching of the gospel, because many people out there also need help, and the Bible offers those solutions which we ALL need. Through God’s calling, we have been given this incredible gift to understand now, and we have access to His perfect knowledge. Don’t take it for granted!

As I live my life, I am aware of things going on around me. One of the most useful things that I have learned so far is that we ALL go through various trials. As I get older and experience life more, I can see the differences between challenges which God’s people cope with and the issues that people face in the world.

But there is one fact that holds true for both – it is that we are all human beings. We all have to deal with our own human nature and with sin. Church members know that God allows trials for their growth and edification. In fact, this is one of the ways that we can KNOW that God is dealing with us and working out His plan for each of us. We read many times in the Bible that God allows us to go through different trials. Each trial is an individual challenge, which no one else can go through. We can pray for each other and we most certainly should lean on each other for help, comfort and support. 1 Peter 4:16 states that there is no shame in suffering. In fact, we need to learn to cope with it humbly, while relying on God (Proverbs 3:5-6).

When we are trained by God’s discipline (Hebrews 12:6-8), we will be able to have good works (Ephesians 2:10). In a world that is increasingly rotten, we have to be willing to do what is right in the eyes of God. As we each go through our trials, we should not be judging each other; but rather, praying for each other. Look at what Paul warns Timothy about in 2 Timothy 3:1-5: “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!”

We CANNOT allow any of these attitudes to permeate our lives. In fact, the warning is so strong that it says to remove ourselves from people with these character traits. If we search ourselves and find any of these attitudes present in our lives, it is important to pray and fast about them and remove them immediately.

One of the most interesting things that Paul states here is that people will be “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” When we seek only after pleasure,  money,  and other things that don’t really matter,  we will lose our way! This has been proven time and again by people who have left God’s Church. But when our ways please the Lord, He will bless us in so many ways. God WANTS to bless us. He wants us to become God beings. This truth is so powerful. It is what we must keep in mind every day and in everything that we do.

Are we willing to guard our hearts against the many things that can ensnare us? Proverbs 5:21-23 states that because of a lack of instruction (including a lack of Bible study), a person will fail. Our ways are constantly before God, but this is not a negative thing. Yes, we ALL fail at times. We all fall down and make wrong choices, but this must not stop us from repenting and moving forward. I personally know how hard it is to not to become discouraged; but rather, I choose to fight on!

In Philippians 4:6-7 we are given great instruction as to how we should conduct ourselves: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

If we allow God’s Holy Spirit to work through us, we will be guarded by God. As we move closer to the return of Christ and the coming of God’s Kingdom, we will encounter trials that will be a lot harder than anything we have seen so far. Now is our time to be drawing close to God; asking Him for understanding; for peace of heart and mind; and for the LOVE of His truth and Way of Life. Matthew 24:12 states that because sin abounds in people’s lives, the love of many will grow colder and colder. This is talking about God’s love in us and the obedience to His Way of Life. We must guard our hearts and not fail, since we are now so close to receiving our just reward.

Tony Robbins, an author and motivational speaker, has been involved in business and life training programs for over 30 years. Labeling himself as a “world authority on leadership psychology” he has, as his biography states, “created the #1 personal and professional development program of all time and more than 4 million people have attended his live seminars” (tonyrobbins.com).

Having recently viewed a documentary on one of his seminars, I was left with one impression: seeking happiness without God is a fleeting pursuit without enduring value. While Tony has the ability to inspire and reach people on a very emotional level, these feelings do not lead to God—at least not using the techniques employed in his seminars. Tony isn’t alone in his misguided attempt to effect change in people, regardless of how sincere it might be. Anyone pointing to themselves or their audience as the instruments for true change and happiness are without godly understanding.   Creating happiness in one’s life begins by setting our sights and aspirations on God. David was inspired to write, “Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).

It is imperative that we fortify ourselves against any influences that God would find un-delightful. If we desire happiness, we will only find lasting joy in godliness. Any pursuit that doesn’t point to God leads us in the only other direction possible—towards the god of this world and utter destruction.

As Tony finished off his 6 day seminar in the documentary, he ended the last session with the audience meditating in an eastern-religion type posture. While he made slight reference to God during his presentations, it became very apparent he was not focused on pleasing God but instead prostrating before the god of this world.

Paul warned the church in Rome that this kind of worship would eventually lead us away from our inheritance, “Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man… who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator…” (Romans 1:22-25).

Godlessness extinguishes the flame that should be continually growing within each of us. There is no “gray area” or “middle ground” in the absence of light, only eternal darkness. Our diligence in testing what is godly and focusing on what is godly will lead us to satisfaction and eternal joy.

World news is bad news—wars, disease epidemics, acts of violence, political turmoil–these are the kind of reports we read and hear about. It is the unavoidable reality of our time.

Added to this are countless conspiracy theories of alien invaders, poisonous chemtrails, secret ruling societies and a host of other troubling or suspiciously fabricated rumors about occurrences happening around the world. Separating truth from fiction is a daunting challenge.

Yet, there is a true message of real hope being given! It is identified in the Bible as the “gospel.” It is the same news Jesus Christ proclaimed as noted in Mark 1, verse 15, when He said, “‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.’”

The word, gospel, is derived from a Greek transliteration, euaggelion, meaning “good news.” The Church of God has carried forward the preaching of the gospel. It is a message about God’s Kingdom being established on the earth. It forecasts the end of bad news and promises a time of unending peace, joy and eternal life:

“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’ Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful’” (Revelation 21:1-5).

This good news has been written in advance to strengthen us, “upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (1 Corinthians 10:11). Our challenge is to see through the darkness that now surrounds us and to continually look forward to the future God has promised:

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

The good news is that God’s Kingdom is coming—very soon!

During the 2008 presidential campaign in the USA, one candidate ran on the slogan of “Hope and Change.” Since his election and now almost eight years later, most people feel there is no hope and things have only changed for the worse.

There is a physiological effect that happens to people when they lose hope. I read a story several years ago about two people lost in the wilderness in winter time. The difference between the one who died and the one who survived was that the survivor never gave up hope.

Once hope is gone, a sinking feeling of despair sets in, which might even lead to losing the will to live.

In 2 Corinthians 11:23-28, the apostle Paul lists the many things he had to suffer through:

“Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.”

Just what was it that drove him in the sense that he would endure all this hardship without throwing in the towel? He gives us the answer in the book of Acts:

“Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?” (Acts 26:8).

“I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust” (Act 24:15).

“But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, ‘Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!’” (Act 23:6).

Notice, Paul had hope in God that there would be a resurrection of the just, and it is clear that that hope drove him on to endure his suffering. It also gave him focus and vision to endure to the end.

It clearly states in the Scriptures that there is a persecution of the saints coming, including martyrdom (Revelation 12:17; Matthew 24:9). These are sobering prospects which we must not deny.  Some will be saved from persecution and martyrdom, while others will have to go through them (Revelation 12:6, 14).

What will make the difference in being able to endure whatever God decides is best for us to make it into His Family? It is to never lose hope and to keep our focus and vision on the hope of the resurrection.

We must never give up that hope! It will carry us through tough times and enable us to stand before the Son of Man in the Kingdom of God.

The referendum in the UK on whether to leave or remain in the European Union took place on June 23^rd.  The following day it was announced that the Brexit (Leave) campaign had won the day.   You might have been forgiven for thinking that that was that; the vote taken and the decision reached, but what followed was astonishing.

David Cameron, the Prime Minister, resigned, and five candidates put their names forward to replace him.   This was soon whittled down to two, with one of those two pulling out of a two horse race which would have been over a couple of months.   This left Theresa May as the leader of the Conservative Party and new Prime Minister.  Within a couple of days, Mr Cameron had left 10 Downing Street with Mrs May the new incumbent.   Reports on BBC news stated that one of Mr Cameron’s greatest achievements was the introduction of same-sex marriage and made great play on this aspect of his term in office.   In his last Prime Minister’s Question Time in the House of Commons, a comment was made that he should be congratulated on equalising “marriage” in the country.   Mr Cameron stated that 30,000 same-sex people had married since the introduction of this practice.   The God of the Bible states in His Word that such practices are an abomination, which is hardly a ringing endorsement of Mr Cameron’s so called “achievement”.

Nigel Farage resigned as leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), having achieved his long-held goal of helping to get the UK out of the EU, and other leading lights of the Brexit campaign also disappeared from the front line.

Meanwhile, the Labour party, which only 6 years ago was the party in government, became engulfed in their own civil war.   Their leader, Jeremy Corbyn, had a vote of “no confidence” in him, passed by 172 of his MP’s with only 40 supporting him.   There is now to be a leadership contest which may have serious repercussions on that party, whichever way the vote goes.

In addition, the seven-year enquiry findings into the Iraq war, conducted by Sir John Chilcot, was finally revealed.   “The Week” stated: “Crucially, the committee concluded (Tony) Blair had exaggerated the threat posed by Iraq – and in doing so, critics say, deliberately misled MPs into voting in favour of the invasion.”   There is, and has been for a long time, a groundswell of opinion which is highly unfavourable towards Mr Blair over the Iraq war.   This matter is unlikely to go away anytime soon.

All of the above happened in a 2½ week period!   It was lightning fast, and there is a lesson for all members of the Church of God in this.   For nearly 2,000 years, Christians have been looking forward to the return of Christ to this earth, but every date suggested so far has been wrong.   This can promote a mind set that we may still have quite a bit of time left, but indications now are that the time may be close to Christ’s return.   And things can happen quickly if it is God’s will.

We have seen an amazing series of events compressed into an 18-day period and the fall-out and repercussions will be seen and felt in the UK for some time to come; particularly, as the country removes itself from the EU – something that the Church of God had forecast many years ago and now it has come to pass.   In addition, it will probably not be the last time that momentous events can happen so quickly.   We may well have had a preview of things to come, and now is not the time for spiritual slumber.

Let us continually remember Luke 21:36: “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”   It may be much sooner than many people think!

I had a friend in college who liked to say that “nothing is hard, but some things take more time.” It doesn’t take a whole lot of effort to find counter-examples to this aphorism, but I still find it to be a helpful reminder when encountering things that appear to be big and difficult to deal with. When we approach difficult challenges by taking one step at a time, and breaking down big jobs into tiny tasks, this statement becomes true. Huge accomplishments are made by taking incremental steps. For example, the goal of writing a book might be a daunting task for most people. Yet, books are only collections of chapters, chapters are collections of paragraphs, paragraphs are collections of sentences, sentences are collections of words, and words are collections of letters. And even preschoolers can put a few letters together. Big things that cannot be handled in their entirety tend to be merely an accumulation of many little things that can be easily handled piece by piece.

The life of a Christian involves setting our sights on the difficult and challenging way of life, which is so contrary to the common ways of the world. Jesus Christ provides us with some great advice on how to set our life’s goals in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Truly, living a life that is completely obedient to God is extremely difficult, and even impossible to do without the Holy Spirit of God working within us. Yet, this is what Christians are called to do. We are called to live a life that rejects the carnal nature of being human, which leads to sin, and choose instead to continuously increase in godly obedience. This is such a difficult thing to do, that only one man has ever been able to be successful in this task, without ever making a mistake!

If we are doomed to fail in our endeavor to live a life without sin, why would we want to choose such a difficult path? Why would we even try? The answer is that it is the only way to reach the goal of living an eternal life in God’s Family. As Jesus says, it is the only way that leads to life. The gift of life, and the reward for our efforts invested now, are promised to have value beyond anything imaginable. With this in mind, we should not ask ourselves why we should bother living a difficult life; but rather, why would we choose to give up such a great opportunity when God is faithful to grant us success? (compare 1 Corinthians 1:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:3). Yes, the Christian life is inherently difficult, but worth it in the end.

Knowing that we are called to live a life that is difficult, what do we need to do to equip ourselves to endure until the time of judgment? The answer is that we need to keep our focus on our ultimate goal, and conduct our lives by taking care of the little things. If a life of complete faithful obedience to the Christian way of life is our goal, the opportunities that are presented to us in each immediate moment are where we take action. We can only really work on what’s within our grasp.

Even though it is helpful to us in a practical way to do the work of our lives in little pieces, there’s more to it. These little things are where we will be judged as well. In Luke 16:10 we are reminded, “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.” The little things that we encounter day by day are never too small to pay attention to. They matter a great deal. God very seriously considers how we take care of matters that might seem insignificant to us. How we work with them is an indicator of how we’ll handle the big responsibilities that are promised to us as a reward. Do we act dismissively towards the matters that are “too insignificant” to treat with godly reverence? Or do we consider that each moment is our chance to score another incremental victory in our calling to overcome sin? We must focus on the little victories if we want to claim the big one.

There is no doubt that living a life as a convicted Christian is a difficult challenge to take on. But is it too hard? Absolutely not! When we take the time and effort to live a Christian life with each moment, this seemingly impossible task of overcoming sin will become a tremendous success.