Prophetic developments are speeding up. The Brexit; a rigged political system in the USA;Donald Trump’s rising popularity; new presidential elections in Austria; attempts to establish a United States of Europe and to create a European army; increasing terrorist attacks and wars all over the world; terrible weather conditions; the spread of immorality; the preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom of God in all the world as a witness…  the list of significant biblical events seems to be endless.

Jesus Christ told us that we must observe the signs of the times, which would indicate to us when His return is near (Matthew 24:32-33; Luke 21:29-31).

However, some engage in unfounded speculations. They feel that there must be first a seven-year contract between the “beast” (a military leader) and other nations (the candidates for those other nations vary; some claim it would be Arab nations; then they say it would be the State of Israel; and finally, they even think it could be a combination of Israel and Arab countries). They are also waiting for the arrival of a “king of the south,” “a Mahdi,” who is supposed to unite Arab nations under his lead. Or they wait for the appearance of a red heifer as a “necessary step” towards building a third temple.

Interestingly enough, the Bible does not predict any of this. For instance, there is no prophetic requirement for a seven-year contract. But following their misguided concept, even IF the “beast” would arrive in 2016 and such a treaty would still occur within that year, Christ could not come back prior to 2023. At the same time, we are NOT suggesting either that Christ WILL come back within less than seven years.

The truth is, we do NOT know when Christ will return (Matthew 24:42). Even He does not know; and neither do the angels (Mark 13:32). It is within the Father’s SOLE prerogative, authority and discretion to DECIDE when that time has arrived (Acts 1:7).

It is so important that we do not lose focus. As we have preached time and again, we must live in a way that we are always spiritually ready for Christ’s return (Matthew 24:44). (After all, we could die tonight, and we had better be ready when we die). At the same time, we are to live our lives as if we had many more years ahead of us. Over the centuries, many Christians made the big mistake of giving up God’s Way of Life when their expectancy of Christ’s return at a given date did not materialize; or they ceased from fulfilling their physical responsibilities for themselves and others (including their children), thinking that because Christ would come back soon, they did not have to prepare anymore for the future.

Christ gave us many admonitions, showing that we must continue with our physical duties until the very end, while of course never neglecting our spiritual obligations.

Christ said that the servant is blessed whom his master, when he comes, will find him doing his job (Matthew 24:46). He told us that two will be in the field, apparently working, while one is taken, and the other one is left behind (Matthew 24:40). He told us that two women will be grinding at the mill, when one is taken and one is left behind (Matthew 24:41).

He told us to use the talents and abilities which God gave us; rather than hiding them (Matthew 25:24-30).

Paul gives us the timeless command to work when we want to eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Proverbs 21:25 tells us that the “desire of the lazy man kills him, For his hands refuse to labor,” and Proverbs 31:27 adds that the “virtuous woman” “does not eat the bread of idleness.” We are given the timeless truth that a good person will leave an inheritance for his children and grandchildren (Proverbs 13:22; compare 2 Corinthians 12:14), and that he will help his needy parents (Mark 7:9-13). These are ONGOING obligations, and there is no time limit for these commands. Rather, we are told that WHATEVER our hands find to do, we must do it with all of our might (Ecclesiastes 9:10; compare also Ecclesiastes 11:1, 6).

We must never make the mistake of trying to predict the exact time of Christ’s return, or to invent man-made prerequisites which “must” be fulfilled first. We must never cease from fulfilling our physical obligations, because of our personal conviction that Christ will return very soon. We are not to worry about the future with anxious thoughts. Rather, we are to seek God’s Kingdom and God’s righteousness first (Matthew 6:25-34), but if we fail to fulfill our physical responsibilities, we have become worse than an unbeliever and have denied the faith (compare 1 Timothy 5:8). If we develop a mentality of thinking, “Now is not the time,” then this will surely contribute to our spiritual and physical downfall.

History has been made and prophecy is being fulfilled before our eyes.  A week before the June 23, 2016, referendum in Great Britain, I was asked by someone I know, who is not in the church, what I thought about the Brexit and if the United Kingdom would vote to stay or leave the EU.  I answered him, saying that I believe they will decide to leave, if not on June 23, then sometime in the future, although I hinted at the great possibility that it would happen on June 23.  He didn’t necessarily agree with me and then brought up all kinds of explanations for his belief that they would vote to stay.

A day before the referendum, he asked me again if I thought that the Brexit would happen, but now he added if I would “bet on it.”  I gave him the same answer, and this time I added the reason why I was so convinced that they would ultimately leave, without placing a bet, as it would prove to be an unfair outcome on his end.  Since I knew that he didn’t really believe in the Bible, I told him what I believed and that based on biblical prophecy, the UK leaving the EU would happen.  However, it wouldn’t end there.  I explained to him that out of the present EU, very powerful core European countries would emerge. He also wondered how the stock market would be affected, and I merely responded to be prepared.

What we in the church have been saying for years is coming to fruition, and we have been able to back it up BECAUSE we understand biblical prophecy.  We have produced videos, messages and literature for many years, warning about Great Britain leaving the EU and ten European countries or groups of nations emerging that will unify and become militarily strong (compare Daniel 2:42). These ten nations or groups of nations will only rule for a short time, and they will give their power and authority to a charismatic political personage – the “beast” (Revelation 17:12-13), who will also work together with a religious figure, called “the false prophet.” Our free booklet, “The Ten European Revivals of the Ancient Roman Empire,” explains all of this in great detail.

Now that we see more and more how prophetic situations are developing in the world, we must ask ourselves just how prepared we are, for we are accountable for ourselves and others. Do we have our priorities straight or are we “delaying” the return of Christ?  Would we be ready if the great tribulation was to occur very soon, or do we need to make changes so we can be counted worthy to escape all these terrible events that will occur during the great tribulation?  Are we close enough to God and do we place Him first?  These are important questions that we need to ask ourselves because the future is also dependent on us!

People who don’t know the truth and who don’t understand biblical prophecy and the actual significance of what is happening now in the world, will be caught off guard, as more and more prophetically described events start to take place in the near future.  We, however, who KNOW the truth and who UNDERSTAND what the Bible is saying, MUST continue to be on guard, for Christ warns that “if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you” (Revelation 3:3).  Paul also expounds upon this in 1 Thessalonians 5:2-10 where he says, “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.  You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.  Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.  For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.  But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.  For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.”

Interesting times are indeed ahead of us, and we are witnessing “a change in the making.”  We must continue to watch and pray always that we “may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36).

What happens when your life is repeatedly moving into a different direction than where you want it to be—when you expect to find answers and more questions appear? Have you ever wished you could see into the future and be able to navigate through life’s ups and downs?

As human beings, we constantly make plans and try to affect the outcome of our lives for the best. We are always trying to come up with the right solutions for our problems and seeking answers. As long as humans have been here, this has been the case. It is easy to become distracted by our own wants, desires and ambitions. It is easy to get caught up in concentrating on ourselves while missing the fact that our lives hold such importance for all of us.

Do we believe that God the Father and Jesus Christ have seen us before time began? Do we accept that the words we read in our Bibles are true? If so, then we need to read and come to fully understand and put into practice what we claim to believe. First we read in Ephesians 2:10 that we are “created in Jesus Christ…” We have been given a new hold on life (also note 2 Corinthians 5:17-18). But this verse doesn’t just stop there. It continues: “… for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” The primary object here is that we should be living our lives in a holy way. This is explained so many times. Romans 6:4 tells us that we are called to “newness of life.” Ephesians 1:4 says that we have been chosen “before the foundation of the world” to be “holy and without blame.” God prepares beforehand for each of us particular good works, and the time and way which He sees best. By His providence, God brings about opportunities for good works, and makes us ready for their performance (John 15:16; 2 Timothy 2:21). He wants us to walk in them—not to “be saved” by them. Works do not justify, but a just man works (Galatians 5:22-25).

So how do we accomplish this goal, when life is throwing rocks at us left and right—when everything seems stacked against us? Does it seem then that God really cares? Does He answer us at all?

There can only be one answer!

God dares us to do something in Malachi 3:10. This passage involves the aspect of tithing. Also think about other areas of our lives. The principle of this Scripture applies in so many ways. God says: “… try Me NOW in this.” Don’t wait until it is convenient. Try it out and see if it works, if I won’t bless you for tithing. What if we took this challenge and applied it to bible study; prayer; meditation; helping out at Church services; volunteering time and effort to help promote the Word of God; in any situation, really.

These are ALL areas where we can apply this challenge. God wants to see the character that develops in us as we go through trials, while applying and being obedient to His rules and laws. If we do this, then God tells us in 2 Corinthians 9:8 that if we have good works then He can and will bless us. But if we think that we will be blessed at all times without having to grow spiritually, then there is still much to learn.

James 4:17 equates the good or evil that we do with the life that we choose to live. Notice, it says that everyone should seek the Lord’s Will. However, this is not just a one-time occurrence. Rather, it applies consistently, as it does with tithing or any of the above-mentioned activities. We don’t pray just one time for something and when nothing happens decide that we stop praying because God didn’t answer. Instead, it is just the opposite. We are commanded to pray “always” (Ephesians 6:18) and “without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). If we fail to study God’s Word and pray for His help, how can He answer? Do we see the waterfall effect if we start failing in one area?

Consistency has to be our key—consistency in doing the right thing. We must have consistency in faith that God knows what is best for our individual situations; knowing that He will allow tests and trials to see where we stand in respect to our desire to have a relationship with Him. How can we expect God to answer if we half-heartedly go through the steps and motions of bible study and prayer? Psalm 23 lays out David’s deep respect and love for God and his relationship with God. Notice in this chapter the day-to-day reliance David had on God. He equated EVERYTHING as coming from God. He constantly was evaluating his life and seeking God’s Will in everything he did. He did this so he could come to the point where he would be able to see more clearly God’s point of view on things. And for this, God loved David dearly.

This is the type of reliance we need to establish in our relationship with God if we want to understand our lives better and where we are headed. Without this type of reliance and consistency on our part, we will be lost as to where we are on a daily basis. We will lose sight of what it is that God is trying to accomplish with each of us.

Try God! Put Him first in everything—in prayer, in thought, in deed and in action. If we start developing this mindset in our lives, dramatic changes in our thoughts and attitudes will occur, and God will be able to use us more easily because we seek His Will.

In late July of 2013, a hiker by the name of Geraldine Largay disappeared off the Appalachian Trail. She had completed over 1000 miles of the 2168 mile Appalachian route. While searching commenced within days of her not reaching a waypoint, the emergency responders never located Geraldine. In October of 2015, a forester located a body which was later identified as Geraldine. According to a journal and unsent text messages, Geraldine survived 22 days after becoming lost. Before succumbing to hypothermia, she wrote in her journal, “When you find my body, please call my husband George and my daughter Kerry.”

Each of us is traversing a similar trail both physically and spiritually. It is fraught with dangers that can ultimately leave us in ruin. Satan, as Peter warns, “walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). The allure propagated by Satan to draw us away from light and into the darkness has left its toll on God’s Church. But our small numbers and outward weakness is by no means indicative of God’s failure. Paul quite succinctly defined the cause of man becoming spiritually lost, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

Being aware of our proclivities for failure is important in building strength to overcome. It is in the small spiritual victories that God is testing and ultimately rewarding us. Christ showed just how important these small triumphs are in building the basis for an eternal life in the Family of God, “His lord said to 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’” (Matthew 25:21).

Geraldine, according to one of her texts, left the well-trodden path to relieve herself, became disoriented, and never found her way back. That innocuous act, maybe when she was tired or not fully paying attention to her surroundings, caused her tragic death. Paul warns us of falling into an attitude of complacency, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:9).

We know that trials will befall us. But the path before us will never grow unclear or hard to follow unless we make it so. God is testing each of us, not to cause our failure but to lead us to salvation. We follow a path to freedom, to an eternal reward promised by God.

Some people just think better than other people do!

However, this isn’t an evaluation based on the intellect associated with a high IQ. Rather, this kind of thinking has to do with thoughts that are good as opposed to those which are evil.

Primarily, society judges itself based on actions, but more and more there are attempts to influence and even govern what a person thinks. Proof of this is found in the staggering moral changes now taking place. Behavior once deemed as sinful is now thought of as acceptable.

Our thoughts are not private to us alone. While other people may not be able to know what we think, God does (compare 1 Chronicles 28:9)! Judgment against mankind before the flood went beyond their actions, it included how people thought:

“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5).

The great challenge for Christians is to bring “…every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). That is possible because we have the gift of God’s Holy Spirit. Furthermore, “…we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16).

These spiritual resources must be developed as we grow in our calling. We must learn to think as God thinks (compare Matthew 5:48). The apostle Paul addressed this goal by showing us how we should think:

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

Given this standard, what do YOU think?

For the last two years a robin had been building her nest on the top of a climbing clematis plant on the corner of my front porch.  It was somewhat of an ideal location–not too high from the ground so when the baby robins left the nest they did not injure themselves, and it was also under the cover of the eves so it never rained on the nest. It was shaded, so it never got too hot, and the mother robin was used to us going in and out of the front door and sitting on our rocking chairs on the porch.

This spring we had to cut back on the clematis and dispose of the nest which had been there for two years. When the robin returned to find no clematis plant or nest to occupy, she was not deterred but built a nest about six feet away on the downspout of my gutters. It is approximately the same height and a bit closer to where we sit on our rockers, which does not bother her.

In the due course after sitting on her eggs and subsequently hatching two baby robins, I was fascinated while rocking on the porch at how much care she and the male robin had for their babies. They would work as a team in feeding them, each bringing worms for them. At times, when she was on the nest keeping the babies warm, he would show up with a worm, give her a portion and feed the rest to the young robins.

I was impressed by the dedication, focus and teamwork they tirelessly kept in order to feed those young birds and keep them warm. I thought, what an example of teamwork, dedication to a cause, and unity of goal, which they exemplified to feed the young robins to the point they could leave the nest and take care of themselves. This brings to mind the Scripture in Psalm 133:1: ”Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!”

We as a church have been given the responsibility to get a message of hope out to a dying world. This gospel is the only hope for mankind. When we work together in unity and focus on the task at hand, then we can and must complete the task we have been given.

As to the robins, what happens to them? They go south for the winter and return again to carry on the teamwork in the spring to bring forth new baby robins, feed and care for them till they can take care of themselves and repeat this process till they die. That’s dedication, teamwork and unity of task.

If we remain faithful in the task we have been given collectivity as a church to work together in unity and focus on the job at hand, our reward is almost incomprehensible. For our dedicated teamwork, we get to live as members of the ruling God Family for eternity. If we die before Christ returns, we get to be resurrected into that very same Family with the same reward. How good and how pleasant it really is for brethren to work together in unity.

On the flight to the USA in early April this year for the church’s annual conference and to keep the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread with the brethren in San Diego, two items in the Independent newspaper that I was reading grabbed my attention.   The headline was “Response to Kezia Dugdale’s news shows we’ve come a long way”.   Let me quote excerpts from the article:

“It is 31 years since a young politician told a rally: ‘My name is Chris Smith.   I’m the Labour MP for Islington South and Finsbury, and I’m gay.’   With those words – which received a five minute standing ovation – the future Culture Secretary became the first British MP to come out of the closet.”

It says something about the state of the nation where perversion is so applauded.

Continuing with the article: “The latest is the Scottish Labour leader, Kezia Dugdale, who disclosed over the weekend that she was in a relationship with a woman.   ‘I don’t talk about it much because I don’t feel I need to,’ she said.   She joined Ruth Davidson, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, David Coburn, leader of Ukip Scotland, and Patrick Harvie, leader of the Scottish Greens, in coming out as LGBT (Lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender).   Scotland is now thought to be the only country where the majority of its mainstream party leaders are not heterosexual.   South of the border, 35 Labour, Tory and SNP MP’s have come out, giving Westminster what is believed to be the highest proportions in any national parliament.”

Over a couple of pages in this same newspaper was the headline “Most Scots are now atheists as churchgoing hits 15 year low.   The latest Scottish Social Attitudes survey found that 52% of those living in Scotland consider themselves to be atheist, compared with 40% when the survey began in 1999.”

If these two items were not bad enough, the entertainment on offer on the aircraft was appalling.  I chose one of the films to watch and in less than 3 minutes I had switched it off due to foul language.   Another film I chose without knowing what it was about had a “lesbian” theme and so that was another no-no.   In some of these films the blasphemy is simply shocking and, again, is to be avoided.

In a very short space of time I was vividly reminded of the cesspit of immorality that true Christians have to battle on a daily, minute by minute and second by second basis.   The societies we live in reflect all of this evil on a previously unimaginable basis.

In this same newspaper were many reports on the troubles that beset the world and almost everyone seems to be oblivious to what is happening.   They are simply unable to connect the dots.

We have been privileged to be called out of this quagmire of evil doing and to understand biblical principles that evade the intellect and understanding of those in political office and influential positions in this world’s society.

Cause and effect ignored.   Sowing and reaping ignored.   God’s instruction in His Word ignored.   The law of God ignored.   Ignoring instruction leads to ignorance.

We understand that “not many mighty now are called” (1 Corinthians 1:26-28; Matthew 11:25).   We understand the promise of blessing and retribution (Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28) which are principles still operational today, and we know that better times are ahead.   In the meantime, we need to make our calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10) so that we can then help those who today are blind to what is happening, and teach them the right way of living in the Kingdom of God.

The prospect of suffering loss is something that strikes fear into the hearts of many, if not all of us. The potential loss of a home, job, money, possessions, loved ones, opportunity, reputation, and a volume of other seemingly important things may motivate us to protect ourselves so we can keep those things. We engage in activities like buying insurance, averting risks, and making contingency plans. These are all fine actions to take. But, as we make attempts to keep hold of things that are important to us, there is very little that we can truly control with our own power. While we do whatever we can, we must remember that God is the One who is ultimately in control of the circumstances of our life. Yet, there is one very important matter that we do have control over, and which we cannot survive without.

When we consider the things that we might worry about losing, it is most important that we work to protect our salvation. Our salvation is worth protecting above all. Everything else – everything – is trivial by comparison. This gift of salvation is unique in the manner that it is completely under our control, and, as a result, is something that we alone are responsible for keeping or losing.

Knowing that the gift of salvation is our most valuable possession and that all else is far less important by comparison, it is imperative that we balance our attention and invest our resources accordingly. Do we spend time keeping our relationship with God healthy? Do we spend an unnecessary amount of time, energy, and other resources trying to keep control over those things that we should trust in God to protect? By putting our faith in God to support our needs, and basing our actions on our faith, we free ourselves from the worry of this world and can focus on more important matters. We control our own destiny by the way we manage our conversion.

Paul wrote that his strengths and prior accomplishments, as measured by worldly metrics, were a liability to him relative to his spiritual conversion and growth. “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:7-8). This perspective should be one that we all share. The possessions and advantages that we might have in this world are useless in the ultimate endeavor we seek—to be part of God’s Family.

This means that we cannot become too attached to the things of this world that we might fear losing, if such attachment causes us to compromise our relationship with God. It hurts to suffer loss in our lives, but most loss that we experience only has a temporary effect. We have to remember that the loss of our opportunity to live an eternal life is the greatest loss and the only thing for which there is no recovery. As Jesus reminds us in Luke 17:33, “Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.”

During my many years in the Church of God, I have observed firsthand many Satanic attacks on God’s people and the Church itself.  I was still in Germany when I learned, second-hand, that the Attorney General of the State of California, being used by disgruntled disfellowshipped members and ministers, was launching a massive illegal attack on the Church, but when I later came to Pasadena and worked in the Legal Department, I could see that it had clearly been Satan’s goal to totally destroy the Church of God. In that, Satan failed.

Subsequently, another Satanic attack was launched against Herbert Armstrong, the late human leader of the Church, as well as the Church organization, when attempts were made to smear Mr. Armstrong’s reputation and to fraudulently gain possession of half of the Church’s property. In this, Satan failed again.

When Mr. Armstrong died, his successor, being at least partially used by liberal men who were hostile towards Mr. Armstrong and his teachings, changed just about every Church doctrine, until their organization had ceased to be a part of the Body of Christ and had instead become a mainstream “Christian” part of the great apostasy with all of its pagan ideas, and even though far too many followed their evil lead, Satan failed in his attempt to influence ALL of God’s people to depart from the truth.

In due time, further splits within the Church of God organizations occurred (as they are bound to continue in the future), which were also undoubtedly, at least in part, motivated and inspired by Satan, but again, Satan did not succeed in destroying completely ALL of God’s people. But the Bible has prophesied that due to the many Satanic attacks, many will fall away in the future (2 Thessalonians 2:3), and most of those who will stay in God’s Church will become lukewarm (Revelation 3:6), tired and worn out. We read in Daniel 7:25 about a religious power which “persecutes” the saints, but the word actually means, “wears out,” comparing it with a garment which wears out by degrees, and as applied to many of the saints, they become tired and worn out due to constant harassment and persecution.

However, the Bible also promises that a faithful remnant of the Philadelphia era WILL EXIST in these end times, who will be counted worthy to escape the terrible Great Tribulation and to stand before the Son of Man (Revelation 3:10; Luke 21:36)… and we are NOT saying that that remnant is limited to just one particular organization, even though we surely believe that our organizations are part of this remnant.

Therefore, we should expect that Satan will especially try now to attack this very remnant with great wrath, because he knows that his time is short (Revelation 12:12). And that is EXACTLY what is happening. Satan IS on a rampage to DESTROY God’s people, and his attacks have become so violent and all-encompassing as never before in my experience within the Church of God. I am foremost speaking of personal problems which God’s true begotten sons and daughters have to endure at this point.

HOW are they to win this Satanic battle? It is clear, they CANNOT win it on their own. They MUST allow God to fight for them, but they must be WILLING tools in the process. Since Satan IS walking about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he can devour, God’s people must have God’s help to resist the devil, and they must be steadfast in the faith—having the faith that Satan WILL be defeated (1 Peter 5:8-9; Romans 16:20).

God tells us in Ephesians 6:11-12:

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness [or better: wicked spirits] in the heavenly places [or: high places].”

In order to be victorious, we MUST put on the ENTIRE armor of God, which is described in Ephesians 6:10-18. It can be summarized as follows:

Our waist must be girded with God’s truth (verse 14).

We have to put on the breastplate of God’s righteousness (verse 14).

Our feet must be shod with the preparation of God’s gospel of peace (verse 15).

We must take God’s shield of faith (verse 16).

We must wear God’s helmet of salvation (verse 17).

We must also take the sword of God’s Spirit, which is the word of God (verse 17).

And last but not least, we must pray always with all prayer and supplication in God’s Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints (verse 18).

We have published a free booklet, “Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians — How to Understand It,” in which we discuss in detail every aspect of God’s armor, which is VITAL for our spiritual survival and salvation. You SHOULD take the time to carefully study [again] our booklet and PUT INTO PRACTICE what God is telling you.

Make no mistake! We are ever SO CLOSE to the return of Christ, and Satan knows it. Do you? In his incredible wrath and anger, Satan will VERY SOON bring about the Great Tribulation—leading to a time of such terrible proportions that no one would survive if Christ were not to return. The Great Tribulation is foremost directed against the modern houses of Israel and Judah and especially God’s saints. The Bible clearly shows that another massive martyrdom of the saints will occur at that time (Revelation 6:9-11). But Satanic persecution against God’s people will already begin PRIOR to the Great Tribulation (Mark 13:12-13; Luke 21:16-17)!

As an Evangelist in God’s Church, let me tell you: THAT persecution has clearly begun, and you NEED God’s constant protection, help and HIS armor, if you do not want to fail and fall away from God.

Now that the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread are behind us, do we look forward to what we have ahead of us? We should however not forget what the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread symbolize; rather, we should continue to apply the significance of these special days in our lives, as we do every year.  We may go through an “up and down moment,”  moments of a “spiritual high” right before and during that time when we are excited and full of joy, but what about shortly thereafter?  Do we carry on the excitement we just shared or does it soon drift away in the coming days, now that the Days of Unleavened Bread are over, or at least until Pentecost and the Fall Holy Day season approaches?  What do we do in the meantime?  How do we react and take control of our feelings?

Distractions come in many forms, and they prevent us from focusing on the things we need to concentrate on, and if not controlled, they can lead us to defeat. Now that we are back “in the world,” we will once again be confronted with distractions to side-track us and our spiritual thinking. Satan who is always out there tries to make it difficult for us, and we also know that God is there to help us overcome Satan’s attempts to bring us down.  God allows distractions in our lives, which are trials that we go through, and they are necessary for our success.  We are not being tested for the purpose of failing, but with the expectation of success:  “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7).

Our self-examination does not only occur once a year, but it should be a daily task.  Our self-examination should determine that we are on the right track; that Christ DOES in fact live in us, each and every day.  “And if, during the examination, a Christian finds that he is lacking in some aspects, he needs to REPENT of that; he needs to ask God for forgiveness; he needs to resolve and make an effort to do better; and, at the same time, he needs to understand that with God’s help, he can, and must, and will do better“ (Quoted from our free booklet, “The Meaning of God’s Spring Holy Days”).

Those of us who have been called out of this world and who live by the law of God and observe His commanded Sabbaths and Holy Days, can thereby expect trials of every caliber to impact us in some way, especially right before and after the Holy Day seasons.  God allows us to go through various tests, not for the purpose of imperfection, but to bring us closer to perfection.

We can expect trials to continue, especially with all the distractions this world is throwing at us. We are being tested on the very things that we struggle with the most, and God is looking at US to see how we will react; how we will “handle” the situation.  We will fail from time to time, especially during initial stages of a trial. In recognizing our own actions when going through a trial, we are thereby examining ourselves and accepting the fact that we MUST do better, if we want to be counted worthy.

The suffering we are going through is a beneficial part of God’s plan: “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10, English Standard Version).  We should not feel defeated the moment a trial sets in, for God says that “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).  If we believe this, then we will be able to take control by conquering our trials and fulfilling God’s purpose for us.