People have told me that they don’t watch the news or let their children view the awful violence that floods across the television reports. They choose to insulate themselves from all the negative influences—at least, as much as that is actually possible.

However, this approach is short-sighted. For readers of our weekly Updates, you know that we do report the news and that includes some things that are extremely unpleasant. This is a job which has been given to the Church of God, and it is a part of proclaiming the gospel which must incorporate a warning message of evil things to come. Included in the commission given to God’s faithful servants is this command:

“‘Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins’” (Isaiah 58:1).

This was the work given by God, and the prophet Jeremiah was among those chosen to deliver this message.

Following the rebellion of the House of Judah, God allowed Nebuchadnezzar to plunder their land and lead many of the survivors into captivity. They had been warned that their evil conduct would result in grave punishment from God, and it did! However, even while they were living as dispossessed slaves in Babylon, Jeremiah was inspired to send them a remarkable letter, in which God said:

“‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope’” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Jesus Christ came to this earth to bring a message of peace and hope to all of mankind, and His proclamation is called the gospel of the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:15). Jesus also lifted His voice like a trumpet and told the people of His day that they must repent and obey God. The gospel is the central message of the Church of God—as witnessed in Peter’s dramatic preaching on the Day of Pentecost (compare Acts 2:14-39).

That first generation of the Church lived to see the destruction of the nation of the Jews—including the demolishing of the Temple of God in 70 AD. Yet, the good news of the Kingdom of God was preached then, and so it is again to be preached in our time (Matthew 24:14)! 

While we certainly must confront the shocking and deplorable age in which we live, we must never lose sight of the promise God has set before us! And not only for our benefit but for the future and hope of all of mankind—note what we are told:

“So Jesus answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, FOR MY SAKE AND THE GOSPEL’S, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time–houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions–and in the age to come, eternal life’” (Mark 10:29-30).

We have this promise: “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask ANYTHING according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears, WHATEVER we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15).

But HOW do we know, in a given situation, what God’s Will is for us? Is it God’s Will to marry our fiancée? Is it God’s Will to sever our marriage? Is it God’s Will to accept a particular job? Is it God’s Will to quit our current job? Is it God’s Will to end our studies in college or university? Is it God’s Will to move? Is it God’s Will to be healed of a particular sickness? Is it God’s Will to buy or sell a house or a certain car; to spend our vacation at an exotic location; to engage in a particular activity? The list may be endless…

How DO we know?

The answer is, in many cases, we may NOT know right away!

In our free booklet, “Teach Us to Pray,” we state the following:

“We have to ask God for His help and intervention ‘according to His will’ (1 John 5:14). This requires that we understand what His will is (Ephesians 5:17). In other words, God needs to REVEAL His will to us (Ephesians 1:9)…

“When we pray to the Father that His will be done, we ask Him… to give us the right kind of discernment to prove or test what His will is in a given situation; to permit Him to work in our lives… We should always ask ourselves when contemplating a major decision in our lives: Is this God’s will? We should not approach the issue with the attitude of: I know it is God’s will, because that is what I want to do. James 4:15 tells us, instead: ‘… you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”’…

“When we pray: ‘Your Will be done,’ we pray for understanding from God to determine what His Will is; for the ability to accept His Will and agree with His Will for our lives; and the strength and desire to do His Will, even though it might not be easy. When we are facing difficult situations in our lives, we are asking God to help us not to make hasty decisions out of impatience or frustration, but to reveal His Will to us and give us the will-power to accept His Will, agree with it, submit to it wholeheartedly, and DO whatever God may require of us, knowing that God will help us. We are saying with Jesus, when He was facing the most difficult situation in His life: ‘Not My will, but Your Will be done.’”

We need to prove or test to find out what God’s Will may be for us in a given situation. This may not be as difficult as it sounds. We pray by asking, seeking and knocking, having the faith that God hears and that He will answer. Circumstances in our lives may reveal His Will for us. If we pray to God for His direction, BELIEVING that He will see to it that a certain plan of ours is or is not going to come to fruition, He IS GOING to answer our prayer. If the car is a “lemon,” He will show us. If it is not His Will to heal us right away, He will make this very clear (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). If a particular job is not the best choice for us, it will become manifest.

Sometimes, we must knock at several doors, not knowing at first which, if any, will open. Ecclesiastes 11:1-2, 6 tells us: “Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days. Give a serving to seven, and also to eight, For you do NOT KNOW what evil will be on the earth… In the morning sow your seed, And in the evening do not withhold your hand; For you do NOT KNOW which will prosper, Either this or that, Or whether both alike will be good.”

The key is, whatever we do, and as long as we do it, we must do with all our might (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

We must not quit, if God has not made it obvious that a certain course of action is against His Will. Some become disappointed and discouraged if a planned action does not show results right away, and they contemplate giving up. Some are far too quick in changing jobs. They never seem to settle down or stick to a given task. They lack perseverance in trials, concluding erroneously that a trial at the job shows them that God wants them to quit their job. Quite the opposite might be true. Maybe God wants them to stick it out so that they can learn how to conduct themselves properly in a difficult situation. But they quit too early. In fact, if it is God’s Will that we ought to change our job or a given course of conduct, then we don’t need to worry about whether or not to quit, because God will answer our prayers for the revelation and manifestation of His Will by making an end to our plans and our work (compare Acts 5:38-39).

In the famous inspirational poem by an unknown author, “Don’t Quit,” these memorable words are uttered:

“When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill, When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit — Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

“Life is queer with its twists and turns, As every one of us sometimes learns, And many a fellow turns about When he might have won had he stuck it out. Don’t give up though the pace seems slow — You may succeed with another blow.

“Often the goal is nearer than It seems to a faint and faltering man; Often the struggler has given up When he might have captured the victor’s cup; And he learned too late when the night came down — How close he was to the golden crown.

“Success is failure turned inside out — The silver tint in the clouds of doubt, And you never can tell how close you are, It might be near when it seems afar; So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit — It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.”

If you are considering whether you should do, continue to do or abrogate a certain task, ask yourself: Is it AGAINST God’s Will? It is NEVER God’s Will that we sin! But do we or would we sin? You need to carefully evaluate your situation based on your knowledge of the facts and circumstances—not based on hearsay, gossip, misstatements, accusations or opinions of others. Jesus did not care about man’s opinions… He healed the sick on the Sabbath, even though the Pharisees condemned Him for it; He spoke in public with a Samaritan woman even though the Jews did not “allow” it; He associated with “sinners” and “tax collectors,” even though the establishment rejected Him for this conduct.

If you cannot say, after careful and honest analysis of your situation, that your (contemplated) conduct or current condition are against God’s Will, then allow God to show you His Will through clear circumstances in your life. He will make it obvious to you! Have patience and faith that He will show you… and He will… in His good time—but in the meantime, until the answer is clear, don’t quit!

We are told that many people have a calling in this life when they feel the call to the clergy, the medical profession, the sciences or many other careers.  However, the greatest calling of all is afforded to those called and chosen by God.   It is a privilege, not to be underestimated in any way. Being a true Christian carries many duties, obligations and requirements.

The Church of God should be a homogenous group, all pulling in the same direction, with the same goal of growing and overcoming, so 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).   In order to achieve that goal, we must pull together as the people of God, not pull apart.  

I have noted over my 40 years in the church that some members are too quick to spot what they see as a problem, use it as an excuse to disappear to another Church of God group and then it can happen all over again in their new place.   And, the same can be said of a minister who wants to be in charge – he just finds a reason to leave and set up his own group – and the number of groups proliferate!   I don’t believe for a minute that it’s a practice that is pleasing in God’s sight.   We will all have to answer for what we do – and don’t do – and we had better be very careful.   The problem with people not getting on together is not a new one – in fact such problems are as old as the hills.

In his paper, “Neuropsychology of Conflict: Implications for peacemaking,” Douglas E. Noll makes these observations:   “Foreign policy was based on the assumption that rational beings could sit together and work through international disputes and conflicts. Economists built an entire field of study on the assumption that consumers acted ‘rationally’ in maximizing their utility. People engaged in peacemaking, from the interpersonal to the international level, assumed that despite the emotions of conflict, people fundamentally were rational.

“The truth is that we are 98 percent emotional and about two percent rational. Thus, the assumptions underlying many disciplines and practices, especially peacemaking, need significant revisions. By being reactive, we might reject the problem, give up, or feel inadequate to deal with the problem. If the problem is persistent, we might struggle or exit. As the conflict develops, we perceive it as a threat, and we may blame, attack or withdraw. These behaviours constitute our fear reaction system.”

These comments, whilst mainly addressing a secular viewpoint, are nevertheless equally important in the lives of those of us engaged in the Christian way of life.

When there is such an eclectic mix within a church group, it should be easy to see that if our conversion leaves something to be desired, then there is quite a capacity or possibility of potential problems with others.   But it should not be so.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).   Getting on together means seeking peace at every opportunity!    Do we try and make peace or are we always right in our own minds, irrespective of the other viewpoint?   In other words, can we be entreated and sort out, quietly and patiently, whatever stands in our way of being unified with other brethren?

Let us never forget that Satan is in the mix, stirring people up whenever and wherever he can, and he is the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10).   If we think that none of this applies to us, then we had better be careful because anyone who thinks that he stands should “take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

And if we can’t get on together, then we are hardly in the business of letting our lights shine (compare Matthew 5:16).  

We see world events coming to a climax with seemingly little time left before Christ’s return, and it is futile to concentrate on anything that will detract us from looking forward to that wonderful event and all that it means.   We simply don’t have time to waste our energy on unfruitful exercises, unnecessary conflicts and ungodly practices.   If we do get involved in such action, then we will be playing straight into Satan’s hands.   He is angry and “walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).   We are told to be sober and vigilant but often fall prey to the adversary’s clever tactics.   We haven’t any time for that; all of our time should be spent on living God’s way and doing as His Word instructs us.

But none of what I’ve written today should be news to us.   We know what we should do, but how much do we practice it?  

The answer may be a matter of life and death!

We are in the midst of the “holiday season,” as the world likes to put it.  Of the major holidays here in the United States, Thanksgiving stands out as one that we can be comfortable celebrating, as we relate the significance not just in our physical lives, but also spiritually. Sadly, the ungodly holidays of this world such as Halloween, Christmas and Easter overshadow the day of Thanksgiving when it comes to merchandise sales, decorations, a stronger appeal to children, etc.  Even Halloween has been adopted in other countries around the world for the very reasons just listed, but also because Satan is still the ruler of this world.    Thanksgiving is not celebrated in every country around the world,  but the spiritual aspect of thanking God, especially amongst our brethren, should certainly be applied in our lives.

There is an abundance of trials in the Church of God with many of our brethren, which certainly seems overwhelming at times, and we ask ourselves what is the reason for this?  Are we indeed thankful for trials that we go through? The Bible reveals to us with many examples that we are to be thankful for the trials we endure, for it makes us stronger, as we are being tested on how we react.  We are blessed, knowing that we can come before God with anything and share our concerns with Him.

Prayer is ALWAYS important.  We cannot underestimate the power of it.  Colossians 4:2 tells us that we must pray earnestly and be vigilant with prayer. The trials that we go through should increase our prayers even more. We should not underestimate God’s timing, for He has the answer and He will reveal it to us in due time.  Worry and doubt may creep in, for it is in our human nature to feel that way.  But when that happens, we can quickly reassure ourselves with Scriptures like James 1:6 that we should ask in faith without doubting.   And every time we pray, we ought to give thanks to God, NO MATTER WHAT the situation is.  Who else knows better than God about the tests that we go through, for He tests us continuously to see how we respond.  Philippians 4:6 tells us, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” 

There is so much that we can be thankful for.  The fact that God is in our lives when we allow Him to be in our lives is an incredible reassurance that we will be fine, because ALL things are possible through Him (Matthew 19:26; Mark 10:27).

What does God expect of us? To do our best to conquer our trials. If we stumble and fall, to get right back up. To not give up. To stand up and fight for what is right. We SHOULD have nothing to fear.  This is the right attitude that we must be convinced of in our hearts, as we allow God to direct our lives.  Do we have that conviction within ourselves?

As we reflect on the meaning of Thanksgiving, in every given situation we are faced with, let us take to heart what is stated in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in EVERYTHING give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 

One of my favorite activities in times past has been to sit and engage in people watching. There is something unique about observing others without actually interacting. I think at times that this is how God looks down on mankind in general.  Sometimes I’ll be in my car and I’ll watch people even then, and it occurs to me: I am a God being, and all these people have the same exact potential! MIND BLOWING!

Of course, I am not really a God being yet, as I still bleed and such. But I am a God being in embryo. I am still in training.  Does this make me any better than all those with whom I am around? Not at all! This present existence, and all the evil that surrounds us, is truly a life-long trial. When we stop and think about the trials that we go through, what stands out for us?

Do we take the time to ask questions of ourselves? Do we blame others? Do we shuffle off responsibility? We read in 2 Corinthians 13:5: “Examine (prove, test, understand) yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?- unless indeed you are disqualified.” Do we follow Paul’s admonition and take the time to do these things? This is not a two-minute drill. This is an intensive, ongoing process. Trials should lead to action, which is truly what matters.

So what actions do we take? There really are two important pieces: Love for God and love for man.

That’s it, plain and simple. Do we see the magnitude? It’s not love for self, it’s not love for things in this world. It’s love for God and others. Being willing to lay aside our own feelings and thoughts for the good of others. Whatever we struggle with, whatever we go through, it has the purpose of changing us—from thinking about our own selves to looking for the good and the benefit of others. After his conversion, it was Paul’s goal to serve others—to help and to edify them!

When we go through trials, we are being refined and made purposeful and useful to God. 1 Peter 1:7 gives this purpose for trials: “… that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it be tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Action! This is what it means to grow and bear fruit. Action! To step out on faith and do what God commands. Action to leave behind old feelings, thoughts, fears and frustrations, and to instead walk in holiness, peace and love.

Action is what will set us apart. I read something recently that really brought this point home for me: “To be humble-minded, meek in spirit – but BOLD in thought and action; to be truthful, sincere, generous; to be pitiful to the poor and needy, respectful to all and to be thankful for our lot and to envy none – this is indeed be gentle after the best model the world has ever seen, and is far better than being genteel!” (Samuel Wells).

“To be humble-minded, meek in spirit, but bold in thought and action;  to be truthful, sincere, generous;  to be pitiful to the poor and needy, respectful to all men;  to guide the young, defer to old age;  to enjoy and be thankful for our own lot, and to envy none—this is indeed to be gentle, after the best model the world has ever seen, and is far better than being ‘genteel’.”  (1868, H. Friswell, The Gentle Life, p.13.)

We will become God beings, in time, if we learn to take action from the things we go through. We should do this for the purpose of helping others to become God beings as well! One day soon this will become our reality! Are we ready for that now? 

When Typhoon Haiyan hit land, it was declared to be the strongest recorded cyclone to make landfall on record. It was also the 4th most intense cyclone to ever be observed.  Based upon biblical prophecy, we clearly understand what is in store for a world in complete revolt against God. “But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows” (Mark 13:7-8). This is only the beginning!

It is difficult NOT to become complacent when we are surrounded by such outward rebellion towards God. As a whole, the world has tuned out and completely ignored any semblance of godly knowledge. Because of this, the world is unprepared for the return of Christ, and the judgment He is bringing. We cannot fall into the same state, the same trap with which Satan has so deviously ensnared the entire world.

Speaking about the recent cyclone in the Washington Post, Max Fisher states, “Why wasn’t the Philippines more ready? About 20 tropical cyclones hit the country every year, making it practically a routine. The arrival of typhoon Haiyan was certainly no surprise. Yet supposedly storm-proof shelters were destroyed and foreseeably necessary relief efforts have failed to come together. The single most important factor may be that, quite simply, this storm was just too big.”

Many stockpile silver, gold and food in order to survive world-wide calamities. What ALL survivalists fail to realize is that Christ’s judgment on this planet is simply too big to escape. All of mankind will fall under God’s Judgment—no fortified hole will hide anyone from this occurrence!

What are we stockpiling on a daily basis in order to prepare for the return of Christ? Spiritually, are we amassing the cares of this world or are we building up a stockpile of godly character? We don’t have time to put that question on hold, to get to it later once our own desires are fulfilled. Peter warns us why: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness…” (2 Peter 3:10-11). We MUST prepare! And preparing for Christ’s return is only possible if we can “be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless” (2 Peter 3:14).

My wife and I were watching a documentary on Netflix about two Americans who went to India to do a film on orphans. They were trying to use the perspective of what their world looked like through their eyes. Needless to say, it was a real eye opener for my wife and me.

We get so wrapped up in our own lives that we sometimes  become oblivious to how bad conditions really are in other parts of the world.  These two men had contact and were involved with a group of about twenty-five young people–both males and females, ranging in age from three to twenty-five.

The twenty-five year old was the leader, and he looked after the “welfare” of the group. They were sleeping on the sidewalk or in the streets near a train station. They got money by mostly begging at the train station, and several had limbs missing from jumping off the train or accidently falling in front of it. One young girl had fingers missing on her hand because her boyfriend forced her to place her hand on the tracks, so the train could run over it, in order for her to draw more sympathy from those she was begging from.

A lot of them had HIV and/or AIDS from unprotected sex; some were injecting substances into their veins without knowing what they were; others sniffed the fumes of a product to “give them a high”; and then there were those who used tobacco to “get a buzz”–all so that it could help them to forget the miserable condition and life they had. Some had lost their parents who had died or were missing, while others had left their home due to mistreatment, or they had been abandoned by their parents.

I was somewhat shocked to hear that there are thirty-one million orphans in India alone. That figure does not include nations like China, Europe or America. Watching them sleep on cement with just a blanket covering them made me comment to my wife that I will not complain anymore about hotel beds.

They have an existence without future in this day and age. Their life is pretty bleak, to say the least. At the end of the movie, they were soliciting funds to help out these orphans. However, the problems they face are overwhelming, and no help will make it a better world or a better life for them.

In fact, all efforts now to create a better world are doomed to failure because Satan, the god of this world and ruler over this society and civilisation, doesn’t want to make this a better world, but he wants to keep it deceived and in a state of godlessness. In time, he will seek to destroy all of mankind.

We who are living in the Western world are so fortunate to have the things we do, and at times we need to look at how parts of the rest of the world are living to really appreciate what we have.

No effort on anyone’s part will make this world a better place.  The only viable solution is the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of the Kingdom of God, when Satan will be banished and when we will assist Jesus Christ in creating tomorrow’s world–a better world for all of humanity.

Watching this documentary was really sobering, and it helped me to realize how badly we need the Kingdom of God to really change the fate of these orphans who are just the tip of the iceberg of the countless problems facing all of mankind.  Thankfully, the true solution is not too far away.

 I recently had the opportunity to experience just a taste of what it is like to be unemployed. With the recent shutdown of the United States government, my job as a contractor was suspended until further notice. For the first few days, I have to admit, I enjoyed the free time. I took the time to take care of things around the house in preparation for the winter, I enjoyed the company of my family, and I even took a little more time to relax. However, as one day off turned into two, two into three, and eventually many more, my anxiety heightened to quite an uncomfortable level.

Even though I knew that the government shutdown would eventually end, I found myself in the immediate moment with feelings of genuine worry. I really did lose the sense of security I had in my job, and it caused some real stress. It is during times of stress when things that might otherwise remain hidden come to the surface. Trials, like sudden unemployment, have real value to a Christian because of this fact that they have the ability to refine us (James 1:2-4). What came to the surface for me was the realization that I had placed too much value on having security of a job that ultimately is not completely secure. This realization was an immense relief for me to find.

The Bible provides plenty of flawless guidance for how to live, but there are two keys that help to balance how we live and work that I find most helpful. The first key is that we must know that God is in control and that His Will is perfect. When we answer the calling that God has for us, and we commit to live our lives His Way at the time of baptism, we sign up to live within the boundary and circumstances that He controls. The events of our life are in the hand of God to control (Ecclesiastes 9:1), which means that there is nothing that we might go through that He does not want us to experience. It is very helpful to let that thought soak in. We should be relieved to know that the burden of controlling our circumstances is not ours, but God’s. Our job is to choose the correct way to respond to the individual, custom-made tests that God has designed for us.

The second key that I find helpful is to place value where it belongs. It is easy to get wrapped up in the apparent importance of the things in the carnal world in which we live. Taking the events we experience, the material we accumulate, and even ourselves too seriously can be dangerous. This turns us away from God, and has the effect of turning God away from us. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 6:19-21: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Investing the correct amount of our resources – care, attention, time, or money – in the things we do and have in this life should prove that our walk in life is a spiritual one, guided by God.

It might be a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31), but once that passes, there is a tremendous relief that we can experience as He lifts that weight from our shoulders (Matthew 11:30).

At this point in our Christian life, how are we doing?

For those who have been called by God, who have been led to repentance, who have been baptized and given the gift of God’s Holy Spirit, who have entered into the fellowship of God’s Church—is there more to be done?

There is, and the first admonition from God’s Word is that we must keep what we have! Most important is that we retain God’s Holy Spirit. We are warned not to quench the Spirit—that is, to not suppress living godly lives (1 Thessalonians 5:19; Ephesians 4:30).

Remember that Saul lost God’s Holy Spirit, and quite possibly his chance for eternal life in God’s Kingdom (compare 1 Samuel 16:14). God rejected him, because he rejected God. Note what God says:

“‘I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments’” (1 Samuel 15:11).

Saul lost his grip on reality. He lost his former humility and replaced it with conceit and self-appeasing vanity. His audacity caused him to ignore God’s commands. Paul warns all Christians of the same danger when he states:

“For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself” (Galatians 6:3).

How many have taken it upon themselves to decide a different direction, rather than following the lead of Jesus Christ through His faithful ministry? Does the following Scripture still apply, today?:

“Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you” (Hebrews 13:17).

In small ways and in large ones, we are challenged to “…hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). In fact, throughout both the Old and New Testament, those who are walking in obedience to and in the Way of God are explicitly instructed to faithfully continue and to never deviate.

If you have studied what we have written and been attentive to what has been preached, then you know that biblical prophecy is being dramatically fulfilled—all leading to the forthcoming return of Jesus Christ!

Holding fast to God is a life and death struggle. Now is not the time to relax our efforts; rather, we are to fervently cling to our calling, and “…so much the more as [we] see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).

Paul was inspired to warn the Church of God that the Day of Christ’s return would not come, unless “the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition” (2 Thessalonians 2:3).  He continued that the “mystery of lawlessness” was already at work at his time (verse 7; compare Galatians 1:6–9; 2 Timothy 2:17–22; Jude 3–4; 2 Peter 2:1–3), but he also explained that the final fulfillment of this prophecy was still in the future (compare 2 Thessalonians 2:8). Paul cautioned us in this context not to be deceived by any means (verse 3).

Why is it then that many are being deceived today and made to believe that the falling away from the truth has already taken place at the time of Paul or subsequently, or that it does not even apply to the Church of God, but to some other powerful Church organization, which did not have the truth to begin with? Did not Paul say very clearly that these two events—the falling away and the revelation of the man of sin—would occur at approximately the same time, leading to the return of Christ? He most certainly did!

Not just Paul, but also Christ Himself warned of a falling away of His people in these end times—just prior to His return. He said in Matthew 24:12-13: “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”

Christ talked about the love of God (“agape” in the Greek), which was poured out into the hearts of God’s disciples by the Holy Spirit which was given to them (Romans 5:5). But because of rampant lawlessness (which is sin, 1 John 3:4), God’s love (the keeping of His law, 1 John 5:3) would wax cold in many of His disciples, and they would fall away—just prior to the end.

Don’t be deceived by thinking that the falling away could not relate to you. That would be the attitude of the Laodiceans (Revelation 3:17) whom Christ will spew out of His mouth, unless they repent (verse 16).

What are we to watch for? An obvious answer is the trap of lawlessness or sin—the transgression of God’s law. If we have become complacent regarding sinful conduct in our lives, we are in great danger. In addition, the New Testament warns against the embrace of false doctrines (2 Timothy 4:3; 1 Timothy 1:10), including those ideas which justify sin by either claiming that the law has been done away with, or that belief in Christ and grace is all we need. These wrong concepts will lead to the falling away from the truth and “sound” teaching (Titus 1:9; 2:1). In the past, we experienced that many fell for false doctrines, but we should not think that similar developments could not happen again. According to the words of Jesus Christ, the apostle Paul and others, they will occur just prior to Christ’s return.

Are there indications that the mystery of lawlessness and of erroneous teachings is already at work in the Church of God—TODAY?  Just look around you. Some have revived, in a slightly different mantle, the demonical teaching of a secret or not-so-secret rapture—the false idea that Christ will come back twice—first “for” His disciples to take them to the third heaven, and then “with” His disciples to establish God’s Kingdom on the earth. Others have come close to teaching wrongly that the Holy Spirit is a person. Some have questioned the correct concept that God IS a Family, or that we are NOT already born again when we receive the Holy Spirit. Then there are those who have no problems with voting in governmental elections or serving on a jury, while forgetting that true Christians are only ambassadors for Christ and God’s Kingdom and merely aliens and strangers in this rotten evil world of Satan’s devices.

Some have become lax in keeping all of God’s Holy Days, or they have developed “alternative” dates. Others have become somewhat indifferent in their observation of the Sabbath. Some are even confused about the commission of the Church, thinking that the gospel does not have to be preached anymore, or that it is more important to “do good works.” This is another critical mistake, since only AFTER the gospel of the KINGDOM OF GOD has been preached in all the world as a witness, the end of this present evil age can come (Matthew 24:14). Others keep setting dates for Christ’s return, even though Christ commanded us not to do this.

Can you see how these “subtle” and “not-so-subtle” changes and attitudes can become an avalanche, which will bury those who embrace them? Similar developments happened in the past, and our free booklet, “Are You Already Born Again?” describes them in great detail.

Don’t be deceived! A falling away from the truth is still to occur in the Church of God. Christ warns you not to accept error, but to hold fast what you have. If you think that you stand, make sure that you are not already in danger of falling.