When Jesus was being judged by Pilate, the question of truth was raised.  Wikipedia has this definition: “Truth is most often used to mean being in accord with fact or reality, or fidelity to an original or to a standard or ideal.”

In our booklet “The Authority of the Bible,” on pages 4 and 5, we read the following:

“THE BIBLE PROVES ITSELF! Human interpretation is not the final authority when it comes to the Word of God! But that is exactly how those who selectively pick and choose what they want to believe, view the Bible. It is also the position taken by so many who simply reject the Bible.

“… how can we know what is true and what is false?

“Jesus Christ made an utterly profound statement in answer to Pilate’s questioning: ‘Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice”’ (John 18:37). Jesus Christ Himself bore witness of the Word of God, and that included the Holy Scriptures—the Old Testament at that time. The prophecies of His birth, death and resurrection proved to be true!…

“Truth—as opposed to falsehood and deception—was the focus of what Jesus taught. He made this statement to the Jews of His day, many of whom were the religious leaders of the nation: ‘And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free’ (John 8:32).”

In John 17:17 we read that Jesus prayed and asked the Father, “Sanctify them by Your truth.  Your word is truth.”   And so, we know that the Word of God, the Bible which is the Christian’s manual for life, contains all the truth that we need to know at this time.

Jesus also said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). The Expositor’s Greek Testament observes that Christ was conveying the following thoughts:

“I do not merely point out the way and teach the truth and bestow life, but I am the way and the truth and the life, so that by attachment to me one necessarily is in the way and possesses the truth and the life.”

The commentary continues:

“‘The way’ here referred to is the way to the Father. He is the goal of all human aspiration: and there is but one way to the Father… [the ‘truth’ is] primarily about God and the way to Him, but also as furnishing us with all knowledge which we now require for life.”

And so, having very briefly established that everyone who is of the truth hears Jesus’ voice; that Jesus is “the way and the truth and the life”; and that God’s Word (the Bible) is truth, let me ask the question: “Are we acquiring new truth or new understanding?”

We can read through Church history that the true Church of God survived through each century, but it had sometimes lost a lot of knowledge and understanding.   When Mr Herbert W Armstrong was called in the late 1920’s, the fruits showed that God used him to restore many doctrines that the early New Testament Church had kept, but which the Church of God down through the centuries had lost. But it is clear to see that this was not new truth, but new or better understanding.

Winston Churchill once said: “TRUTH is incontrovertible.  Panic may resent it; ignorance may deride it; malice may distort it; but THERE IT IS!” Over the years many have mentioned “new truth,” but the truth has always been there.  It was the understanding of the truth—and the love for the truth–that was lost. In 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 we read a warning:  “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”

We not only have to have the truth in the first place, but we also have to have – and retain – the love of that truth.

Let us return to the original question, “New Truth or New Understanding?” The answer should be clear by now; the truth has been there all the time, but it is new or better understanding that all need to embrace who accept their calling from God.

My greatest concern in life is that I might become weak and fail God. Quite simply, living as a Christian in this world is a challenge now, even though it is relatively easy for me to abide by my convictions without persecution. Today, I can observe the Sabbath and keep God’s commandments without much worldly consequence. This makes it easy to uphold my beliefs and express the Truth openly. Ironically, the ease of living as a Christian now is what makes me uncomfortable. If it is challenging to live in a way that is consistent with my Christian beliefs now, without fear of persecution, when times are “easy,” how will I handle things when persecution comes? I know that the difficulties that I face in the world are nothing now compared to what they will be in the future. We are clearly told that we can expect to be persecuted. It is a certainty that this will happen (compare Matthew 10:22; Matthew 24:9; John 15:18), and even more so, as the end of this age approaches. Will I have the strength of will to stand up for the Truth when I face serious consequences for doing so?

The answer to the question of whether I will stand up for the Truth is that I will try with my whole heart to do so. I have no doubt about the importance of upholding the Truth – none whatsoever. My concern does not stem from any wavering in my beliefs. Where it comes from is the knowledge that the flesh is weak. And while I am alive, it is my job to overcome that weakness. Recall what Paul wrote in Romans 7:18, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.” It is my weakness inherent within me, which I work to overcome day by day, that is the source of my concern about failing God.

Fortunately, our concern about failure becomes cast out by perfect love (compare 1 John 4:18) and godly fear—fear in the right manner. Godly fear proves our reverence for God and His righteousness. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever” (Psalm 111:10). When we really begin to comprehend the importance and magnitude of what the Bible teaches, we realize the serious consequences of neglecting to be obedient. In fact, the ultimate death awaits. But, knowing that it is possible to live eternally as part of God’s great Family, and knowing that it is within our means to obtain it, is very empowering. The concern of failing God should motivate us to action! It is the possibility of falling prey to sin that helps us to understand the importance of being obedient.

Once we begin to commit our lives to obedience to God, we have a way available to us to aid in our weakness. Paul, in acknowledging the weakness of his flesh, asks the rhetorical question, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24). Well, the answer to that question is that we have Jesus Christ to save us. Paul also writes that he did not have his “… own righteousness… but that which is through faith [of] Christ, the righteousness which is from God, by faith” (Philippians 3:9). The righteousness of Christ works within us too. When we become baptized, we not only seal our commitment to a life of obedience to God’s commandments, but we also receive the Holy Spirit as a Helper – to aid in our weakness. This is truly exciting! Any concern that our weakness might overtake our will to obey God is trumped by the strength of Jesus Christ who lives and works within us. While our flesh might be weak, we can do anything with the strength of Jesus Christ working within us (Philippians 4:13). And we know that God will carry to completion the good work that He has begun in us (Philippians 1:6), as long as we don’t give up.

The consequences for failing God are dire, making all worldly consequences for upholding the Truth pale by comparison. For certainly, “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). And Satan, who has this world under his influence, is doing everything in his power to cause us to turn away from God. We must realize that we will face more and more obstacles that get in the way of righteousness as the end of this age approaches. Times will become much more difficult. For this reason, we absolutely must become stronger in our faith and stronger in our convictions to uphold the truth.

Recently, Republican Presidential candidate and retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson brought attention again to the hypothesis that Joseph might have built the Egyptian pyramids. He added that it is his belief that they were built to store grain. “Experts” dismissed this conclusion, stating that it was “accepted science they were tombs for pharaohs.” Others claimed that no “major Jewish or Christian sect shares his belief about the pyramids’ origins.” Dr. Carson’s own church, the Seventh-Day Adventists, “clarified” that Dr. Carson’s belief about the pyramids were “his own interpretation.”

Could it be, however, that science and Dr. Carson’s concepts might harmonize, to a certain extent? Even though there is no evidence that Joseph built all of the pyramids or that the pyramids were built for the purpose of storing grain during the biblical seven years of famine in Egypt, there IS evidence that Joseph might have been involved with building one particular pyramid–the Cheops or Great Pyramid, together with Pharaoh Khufu. In addition, there is evidence to show that Pharaoh Khufu was none other than the biblical Job.

In his article, “Who Built the Great Pyramid?” (The Plain Truth, May 1964), Dr. Herman Hoeh pointed out:

“At the true entrance to the Great Pyramid we saw the hieroglyphic carving containing the name of the mighty builder of this architectural wonder of the ancient world. His name in Egyptian is spelled Khufu by modern writers. The Greeks spelled his name Cheops. That is why the Pyramid is often called the Pyramid of Cheops today…

“The Egyptian historian Manetho, who lived in the third century before Christ, wrote that Khufu ‘was of a DIFFERENT RACE’ from the Egyptians (Wathen’s Arts and Antiquities of Egypt, p. 54). Herodotus, the famous Greek historian of the 5th century before Christ, states that the builders of the Great Pyramid were SHEPHERDS (Euterpe §128). But the Egyptians were not shepherds! Notice Genesis 46:31-34: ‘And Joseph said unto his brethren… I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father’s house… are come unto me; and the men are shepherds…And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation? That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle… FOR EVERY SHEPHERD IS AN ABOMINATION UNTO THE EGYPTIANS.” …

“Cheops was not a polytheist. He was a worshipper of the One God. ‘Cheops closed the temples and prohibited the Egyptians from offering sacrifices,’ wrote Herodotus in book II of his History, §124…

“The facts of history are that Cheops (1726-1663 B.C.) was a young contemporary of King Zoser of Egypt. Zoser (1737-1718 B.C.) built the ‘step pyramid’ shortly before Cheops built the Great Pyramid (Budge, A History of Egypt, vol. II, p. 9)… king Zoser ruled part of Lower Egypt at the same time Joseph was Prime Minister under Pharaoh Amenemhet III, king of Upper Egypt. Ancient Egypt… was a confederation of small city states. Amenemhet III (1741-1692 B.C.) was king of Upper Egypt and Pharaoh of all Egypt. But under him were lesser kings, among whom was Zoser. Cheops was [also] a foreign [lesser] King whose domain extended into the Delta of Egypt.

“King Zoser recorded the seven years’ drought in Joseph’s time. ‘My heart is in great anxiety,’ said Zoser, ‘for in my time the Nile has not overflowed for a period of SEVEN YEARS’ (Cambridge Ancient History, p. 309-310, vol. I). The Bible reveals the seven years of famine extended from 1727 to 1720 B.C. Here is clear evidence that Cheops, a contemporary of Zoser, must have built the Great Pyramid during the beginning of the sojourn (1726-1487 B.C.) of Israel in Egypt and about the time of the seven years of famine!…

“A noted man who helped Cheops in building the Pyramid was named Souf. He was ‘chief of the works of Khufu’ (Rawlinson’s Egypt, ch. 14)… Elsewhere he is called ‘Saf-hotep’ — meaning ‘Saf the servant.’ He was apparently one of 12 brothers who built the Labyrinth — the ‘Pentagon’ of Ancient Egypt — for Amenemhet III (Wathen’s Antiquities, p. 142)… ‘Souf’… could be none other than Joseph!… Egyptians still call Joseph ‘Yousuf.’… A corrupted Egyptian story records an incident in the later life of Cheops or Khufu, in which he calls an aged Egyptian sage to his palace (Budge’s Egypt, vol. II, p. 43). The sage lived 110 years. Joseph died at 110 years of age (Gen. 50:26)…

“Manetho, the Egyptian historian, wrote of Cheops: ‘He was arrogant toward the gods, but repented and wrote the Sacred Book… a work of great importance’ (see Wathen’s Antiquities, p. 268; and Budge’s Egypt, vol. II, p. 31)…

“Cheops has another name — Saaru of Shaaru (Petrie’s History of Egypt, vol. I, p. 37). Saaru is another name ‘for the inhabitants of Mt. Seir’ (Rawlinson’s History of Egypt, ch. 22). Khufu, then, was a foreign King whose domain extended from Mt. Seir to Lower Egypt during and after the time of Joseph… Mt. Seir was famous in history as the ‘Land of Uz’ (Vol. III of Clarke’s Commentary, preface to Book of Job). Uz was a descendant of Seir the Horite (Gen. 36:28). The Arabs preserve a corrupt record of Cheops of Mt. Seir or of the Land of Uz. They call him the ‘wizard of Oz.’ Now what individual who dwelled in Uz [note Job 1:1] was arrogant, repented of his sin and wrote a Sacred Book? None other than JOB!  And the Sacred Book is the Book of Job! …

“The ancient Greeks called Job ‘Cheops’… Plainly, Cheops is but an altered pronunciation of Job! …

“Cheops lived in Joseph’s time. So did Job! Job lived in the generation after Esau, for one of his friends was Eliphaz the Temanite (Job 2:11). Eliphaz was the father of the Temanites (Gen. 36: 11) and the son of Esau, Jacob’s brother (verse 10). Eliphaz and Joseph were first cousins.  Job lived before the Mosaic law which permitted only Levites to sacrifice. Notice that Job sacrificed to God for his family as was customarily done in patriarchal times (Job 1:5; 42:8).  None of the conversation in the book of Job refers to the exodus under Moses…

“Coming into Egypt with Jacob in 1726 was a grandson — named Job! ‘And these are the names of the children of Israel who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons… And the sons of Issachar: Tola, and Phuvah and Job, and Shimron’ (Genesis 46:13)… Cheops or Job was Joseph’s nephew…

“We might also consider whether the pyramid was designed by Job to be the tomb or resting place of Joseph’s mummy, before it was carried up out of Egypt by Moses (Exodus 13:19). Cheops or Job, according to the ancient historians, was not buried in it. The sarcophagus in the ‘King’s chamber’ was empty in ancient times. No treasures were hidden in the Pyramid’s inner recesses…”

We also find some additional biblical statements which might support the conclusion that Job was a king and none other than Pharaoh Khufu or Cheops who built the Great Pyramid.

For instance, we read in Job 3:11-15 that in case of Job’s death at his birth, he would have been buried with kings and princes, showing that he was of royal blood.

In the Plain Truth of October 1957, Herbert W. Armstrong wrote in his article, “Why Must Men Suffer?”:

“Some authorities believe that Job was the architect and director of the building of the Great Pyramid—still today the largest building on earth, and prior to the construction of the Woolworth building the tallest. That Job was proud of his righteousness is plain. That he also might have been puffed up over constructing the world’s greatest building clears up much that God says now to him.  Job was too well aware of his righteousness. God now proceeded to deflate his ego. Can it, then be possible God now compares His creation of the earth, and all that is, to the comparatively insignificant accomplishment of building the Great Pyramid? It’s interesting to keep this possibility in mind.

“‘When I founded the earth,’ God opened up on Job, ‘where were you, then? Answer me that, if you have wit to know! Who measured out the earth?—do you know that? Who stretched the builder’s line on it? What were its pedestals placed on? Who laid the cornerstone, when the morning-stars were singing, and all the angels chanted in their joy?’” (Verses 4-7).  It is significant that a pyramid is the only kind of building on earth where the corner-stone is the top stone—the last stone laid—at the COMPLETION of the building! And here God represents the symbolic ‘corner-stone’ of the EARTH as being laid at its completion—when the angels shouted for joy!  And so God continued to deflate poor Job. Job may have been the most righteous man on earth—yet how insignificant he was, compared to GOD!”

Many have responded with ridicule to Dr. Carson’s “personal interpretation” that Joseph might have built the pyramids. Even though it appears that he was “only” involved with building one pyramid—the Cheops or Great Pyramid—and even though it cannot be proven that this was done for the purpose of storing grain (although the construction of the Great Pyramid began apparently about the time of the seven years of famine), this example of a hostile, scoffing and arrogant reaction shows that one should be careful not to reject and dismiss ideas out of hand, labeling them as “odd” or “stupid,” only because they do not seem to fit into the paradigm of commonly held concepts and beliefs. After all, “let GOD be true, but every man a liar” (Romans 3:4).

“…You shall keep My commandments, and perform them: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 22:31).  God clearly revealed to us what we are to do and He gave us specific laws to keep.  He points out that He is serious about His laws and why they are to be obeyed, and why we need to heed His Word.  He made it very clear from the beginning that His rules were established and that there would be severe consequences if we broke them.  Furthermore, in Matthew 5:17, Christ also assured us that He did not come to destroy the law but rather to fulfill it.  He took it even a step further in verse 19, stating that we are not only to obey the law, but we are to teach it also.

God states many times that we are not only to remember His commandments and keep them in mind, but also to perform and do them (Leviticus 19:37; 22:31; Numbers 15:40).

In this lifetime and the society  we are faced with, rules by man have changed and are changing more and more, and abominations in God’s eyes are now acceptable in man’s eyes.  Severe penalties in Old Testament times were carried out for breaking His laws such as adultery, homosexuality and even cursing one’s parents in Leviticus 20:8-10, 13.  The penalty for violating the Sabbath, which God commands for us to keep holy and observe still to this day, was death (Numbers 15:32-36).  Imagine if these penalties were carried out today.

If Christ didn’t come to destroy the law but to fulfill it, then what we read about in the New Testament would apply for us today and in the future.  The same abominations are mentioned in Galatians 5:17-21 and Revelation 21:7-8. The penalty for committing such acts is (spiritual) death.

For those of us who are converted and baptized Church members, we have a much bigger responsibility to fulfill.  We have given our lives into God’s hands, and we are to commit ourselves to Him in everything we do.  We will continue to sin, as we are not perfect, but we will repent and continue to do as God commands so that we will live, not just physically, but also spiritually.  The things that we have put to death at our conversion are the very things that the world still revels in today (compare Colossians 3:5-9).  We need to be aware and “…not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).

The question we need to ask ourselves is the same question asked in Luke 10:25, “… what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”  Christ’s answer is to keep His commandments!  The law is very much alive, and God expects us to keep it and do as He says.  Even though we will continue to go through trials and will be tested on the very things that we struggle with the most, if we remain faithful and strong, recognize our weaknesses, learn from them and do our best to refrain from sinning, God will continue to be with us.  If we do these things, we will not die, but rather, as it says in verse 28: “… do this and you will live!”

I had the unpleasant experience the other week of going to the emergency room. Thankfully, it did not end up as an emergency.  However, it was during that trip that I couldn’t help but notice the other people around me who were suffering in obvious pain, some more than others. I thought back to the Feast of Tabernacles. This year we enjoyed, for the most part, health and well-being at the Feast. We recognize that the Feast pictures, among other things, a time when sickness and disease will be a thing of the past. It made me sad to see these sick people.

In the subsequent days that followed, I also began to see another lesson emerge. Thinking back on my time in the Emergency Room, I found it interesting how Christ had compassion for sick people (Matthew 14:14). We in God’s Church ought to have that same compassion for others.  In Matthew 9:12-13 we read that it is the sick that need healing. But Christ went on to say that compassion was more useful than sacrifices.

When we go through physical pain and suffering, it is an opportunity for us to do a few things. God sometimes uses physical pain and suffering as an opportunity to help us draw closer to Him. Think of the Apostle Paul whom God blinded for a few days (Acts 9:9). Think of King Hezekiah, who was told he was going to die (Isaiah 38:1-5).  What about the grievous trial Job went through, including the loss of family, possessions and health, leading to genuine repentance (Job 42:5-6).  Just using these three examples, out of many, one of the main outcomes was that of humility. They each learned in a different fashion what it means to come to have Godly humility.

This new-found humility allowed God to work with them in even more powerful ways. God gave compassion to these men once they turned fully to Him. God HAS called us NOW (Isaiah 55:6-9). No matter what God tells us and what may be at stake—when we turn to Him with humility, He can and will forgive us. He will have compassion for us, His children (Isaiah 44:22).

Our physical sufferings can be for our benefit and for the benefit of others, if we stop and carefully consider our ways, and if we take the opportunity to find compassion and empathy for others who go through similar suffering. Let us never forget that God loves the humble person, who is willing to lean on Him for all things, including our physical health and well-being.

As we enter another season of mankind’s holidays, it is critical that we steel ourselves against the un-Godly attitudes that surround these festivities.  It’s obvious to us that Christians should forgo decorating our houses in the macabre for Halloween or the gaudiness that surrounds Christmas.  We must also be careful to keep the subtle yet insidious influences at bay as well. No matter how beautiful the trappings of the season are or the good intentions of those who celebrate them—these holidays are detested by God.

It was revealed to John where the influences of these holidays originate.  “And he (an angel) cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, ‘Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!’” (Revelation 18:2).  These holidays are inspired by and originate from Satan.

While this understanding is clear to those who have an ear to hear, the world is completely overwhelmed by Satan’s influence.  According to several retail websites, it is estimated that 157 million Americans will be celebrating Halloween this year, spending nearly 6.9 billion dollars.  “After a long summer, consumers are eager to embrace fall and all of the celebrations that come with it,” said National Retail Federation president and CEO Matthew Shay.  Our world is increasingly embracing these practices, when clear warning is given by God to remove ourselves from them.  John continues in Revelation 18:3, “For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.”

Our retail economy has gradually become bound to the monetary gains of these holidays.  The world has vested so much that it is increasingly becoming more difficult, if not impossible, to turn away.  Satan’s bondage is growing stronger and mankind is reveling in it!  But this great deception will be short–lived.  God’s Judgment is at hand for a world that seeks their own will in lieu of God’s Will. John’s vision continues, “And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues” (Revelation 18:4).

Everything about these holidays is contrary to God.  In order for us to come out of this deceitful season and not partake of it in any way, we must be spiritually focused on God’s Will.  It’s not by luck or our own strength that we overcome Satan, but by drawing close to God so that He in turn will draw close to us.

When we travel to the ministerial conference and the Feast of Tabernacles in the United States, I fill up my van with gas and I know that it will get me to Goldendale in Washington, which is about 557 kilometers from our home.  We stop there, take a break and re-fill the gas tank.

As God’s people, we have had the opportunity at the Feast to fill up our spiritual tanks by drinking in the messages which had been prepared for us.  Our spiritual tanks have to take us through the long winter months up to the next Holy Days in the Spring.

In order to do that, we had to take full advantage of the blessings that God provides for us at the Feast.  One manner to maximize the effectiveness of the spiritual benefits was to ensure we remained in good health in order to attend all the services so we were able to benefit from the messages which we received.  This ensured our spiritual tanks were topped up in order to carry us to the Spring Feasts.

Another benefit was the fellowship we were able to enjoy with one another. Since some of us who are more remote and isolated only see each other once a year at the Fall Festival, this was a time to renew and refresh the friendships we have with one another. We had opportunities to eat in fine restaurants with one another and sharpen one another through good conversations while rejoicing of being together on this occasion.

So the Feast provided both spiritual and physical benefits. We drew closer to God and reached a better understanding of His plan and laws through the messages and we drew closer to each other via the fellowship we enjoyed with one another.

God knew through His plan of salvation, which incorporates all seven of His Holy Days, that there would be a long duration of time between the Fall and Spring Holy Days, and He expects of us to take full advantage of the Fall Festival to ensure that we will have enough spiritual fuel to take us to the Spring Festivals.

The question is, did we take full advantage of the blessings which God offered us? Or did we neglect to attend the Feast even though we could have done so? Did we neglect to listen carefully to the messages and to fellowship joyfully with brethren of like mind? If we did not do this, then we will have a much more difficult time to cope with the long winter months until the Spring Feast Days. In that case, perhaps heart-rending repentance and prayer to God for extra strength would be very important.

Those who will be able to look much more confidently in the future are those who faithfully obeyed God’s command to observe the Feast in the right way and with the right attitude; who will dwell and meditate on the messages that they have heard; and who will be diligent to practice what they were taught. We pray that you belong to that category.

We—through the Holy Days of God—are able to get a sense of what God has done and will do in His dealings with mankind. I am struck by something Jesus said about His own anticipation in fulfilling the Passover meal with His disciples:

“Then He said to them, ‘With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer…’” (Luke 22:15).

Knowing explicitly that He would suffer during the hours following this Passover and die, Jesus nonetheless focused on the bigger picture, for He understood that His actions would open up salvation to the world. This had been His message from the start of His earthly ministry:

“‘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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved’” (John 3:15-17).

But there is more to what Jesus revealed, and this has to do very directly with the Feast of Tabernacles—a time that pictures His return and the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth. Recall that Jesus taught that we should pray, “‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven’” (Matthew 6:10).

Note how Jesus also emphasized another event during that Passover with His disciples and this one will take place in the future:

“‘[F]or I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God’” (Luke 22:16); “‘for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes’” (Luke 22:18).

There is a time ahead when the reality of what we are about to observe at the Feast of Tabernacles will come! Indeed, all that Jesus Christ spoke of will be fulfilled!

As we keep this year’s Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day, let us also do so with fervent desire for the ultimate fulfillment of God’s marvelous plan—eternal life in the Family of God!

During my children’s summer vacation I’ve had the opportunity to spend a little more time than usual doing things together with them. Usually that means running an errand or doing something that’s just a little bit out of the ordinary. None of those activities are very noteworthy, but what stands out to me is their willing attitude to join me in the activity. Most of the time, these activities are very new to my kids and involve the risk of doing something differently. I usually present the opportunity to be my companion without requiring them to join me, so I’m pleased when they demonstrate the willingness to try something new and tag along with me. Their willing attitude is what pleases me the most.

This kind of willing attitude is something that God requires of us too. As human beings, we have free will to choose how we will behave, whether to follow God, or not. While the choice is freely ours to make, the Bible is very clear about what the right choice is. The decisions we make about obeying God or following other competing desires have drastically different rewards and consequences. There may be a short-term benefit of worldly satisfaction by following our own desires, but the ultimate consequence of not following God is death. Just as a parent is pleased when his children heed instruction, God is pleased when we follow Him. On top of that, He offers an eternal reward!

Our attitude is very important to God. We’ve heard this before, but it is good to be reminded. Even when our actions have the appearance of obedience and righteousness, it is our attitude that is judged. Proverbs 21:2 describes this in elegant terms, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts.”  God is not going to be fooled by the mere appearance of our behavior, but our intentions and willingness to submit will be judged.

With the Fall Holy Days upon us, we will undoubtedly find ourselves under all kinds of pressure, putting our attitudes to the test. Knowing that our hearts will be judged under such pressure, now is the time to make sure that we are willing to follow God with joy and gladness. If we follow God begrudgingly or bitterly, it will be plain to Him and the consequence will be severe.

There may be unpleasant consequences for obeying God as well, but those consequences are worldly and temporary. Paul served jail time and was physically beaten for standing up for the Truth. Jesus Christ laid down His whole life in the ultimate act of obedience. How severe are these “bad” consequences relative to the good things that we face? I think that it’s clear that the vast majority of difficulties that we may encounter pale in comparison. When we read about Paul’s or Christ’s examples, we see how courageous and how willing they were to fulfill their purpose. This is the kind of willing attitude that we must have.

We need to be encouraged, especially as we enter the Fall Holy Day season, knowing that we can trust in God and that the worldly consequences that we may face are relatively insignificant. David reflects on this when he writes, “In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” Are we willing to put our trust in God and stand up firmly for the Truth? We must!

A while ago when I was musing on the prayer requests that we have, I thought particularly of someone who had cancer.   It is not a new disease to me and my family.   My maternal grandmother died of cancer; my mother died of liver cancer; and my wife had ovarian cancer twenty-five years ago from which she has fully recovered.  We have known a number of church members and personal friends who have been hit by this dreadful disease.

One report on the internet stated that “Each year nearly 300,000 people are diagnosed with cancer in the UK.  It has been estimated that more than 1 in 3 people (33%) will develop cancer at some point in their lifetime.  Cancers can occur at any age, but the risk of developing cancer increases with age.”

At this time I was reading a book which wrote about chemicals and their effect on health.  It said: “We typically assume that somebody else is minding the shop, making sure all these chemicals are safe.   Yet the truth is that out of 75,000 chemicals now in common commercial use, only about 1,200 to 1,500 have been tested for carcinogenicity.   Dr Sandra Steingraber writes in her book ‘Living Downstream’ that ‘the vast majority of commercially used chemicals were brought to market before 1979, when federal legislation mandated the review of new chemicals.   Thus many carcinogenic environmental contaminants likely remain unidentified, unmonitored, and unregulated.’”

The book also pointed out that the average American hosts up to 500 different chemicals in his or her body.

All of this reminded me of an article that was printed in “The Millennial Times” – a magazine in full color for the Feast of Tabernacles that we produced and published a couple of years ago, where brief articles were written about how it will be after the return of Christ in the Kingdom of God.   One article was entitled “Chemical Companies Out of Business” by Phyllis Bourque, which stated the following (amongst other comments):

“At last, the chemical companies have permanently met their demise!   After being destroyed in the last great war, the facilities that produced such deadly poisons will NOT be rebuilt!   In the meantime, the ruling God Family has effectively neutralized the effects of thousands of years of poisoning the air, the water, the land, the vegetation, and all living creatures.

“The land , which had been drenched with poison in the form of ‘pesticides’ and ‘fertilizers,’ has been decontaminated and restored to the Creator’s specifications so that it can sustain all life – plant, animal and human.”

There will be no more cancer and other diseases, caused by man’s misuse of the earth and him ignoring the instruction that was given in Genesis 2:15: “The LORD God placed the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it.”   Down through the last 6,000 years, man has generally, with few exceptions, ignored that instruction and greatly to his detriment.

We will be keeping the Feast of Tabernacles soon, which pictures the coming Kingdom of God.   And we can rejoice that in the Kingdom, there will no longer be any chemicals or contaminants that, today, cause so much pain and suffering through cancer and other illnesses.   We will be able to look forward to a time when man will no longer have dominion over the earth under the sway of Satan.

What a joy it will be when God—His ruling Family—hold sway!