On the 5th February 2013, MPs in the House of Commons overwhelmingly backed the plan to legalise “gay marriage” in the UK by 400 votes to 175. Even some of those who voted against this measure said that there was insufficient time given to debate this issue. As members of the true Church of God know, on such a matter no debate is necessary; the answer defining right conduct is there in the Word of God. End of story!

The Prime Minister, David Cameron, approved and promoted this plan, after the two previous Prime Ministers, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, had been equally enthusiastic about promoting this ungodly practice.  

All three of these politicians profess to being Christians, but not one of them seems to be in the least bit bothered by what God’s instruction manual, the Bible, has to say on this matter. I mentioned this trait in my last editorial (“Instruction Manual Ignored Again,” Update 572, week of January 11, 2013, about the Church of England voting about the ordination of women bishops. God’s Word never seems to be properly and correctly studied, or even consulted, when such situations arise; it’s the 21st century, and we have to move on and “get with it”.

But how did we get into this mess? It’s that frog’s fault yet again. For anyone who hasn’t heard this analogy, Wikipedia explains it as follows: “The boiling frog story is a widespread anecdote describing a frog slowly being boiled alive. The premise is that if a frog is placed in boiling water, it will jump out, but if it is placed in cold water that is slowly heated, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death. The story is often used as a metaphor for the inability of people to react to significant changes that occur gradually.”  

The significant changes that have occurred in society, like “gay marriage”, have come about slowly over quite a period of time. Of course, our societies’ problems are manifold, and “gay marriage” is just one of its many evils. But it shows how “changes” are introduced and accepted over time. The Sexual Offences Act 1967 was an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom which decriminalised homosexual acts in private between two men, both of whom had to have attained the age of 21. At that time, public opinion was very much against this abhorrent act. (The Church of God does not take a stand or utter a position whether or not homosexual conduct should be considered a crime punishable by our human governments. We understand that this is Satan’s world, and that true Christians are not to engage in political acts or agendas, but they are ambassadors of the world tomorrow, when Christ will set up the Kingdom of God here on earth and establish true and fair laws regulating human conduct.)

However, in the next 38 years much was done, without too much publicity, but was moulding public opinion wherever and whenever possible. The old saying that it is a “cinch by the inch but hard by the yard” perfectly describes how “progress” was made. Stonewall, the lesbian, gay and bisexual charity, has been in the forefront of helping to change public perception, and as time passed, hardened views were softened.

Wikipedia again reports that “since 2005 same-sex couples have been allowed to enter into civil partnerships, a separate union which provides the legal consequences of marriage.” Former Prime Minister Tony Blair was a great advocate for the homosexual lobby. As Shadow Home Secretary, before he became Prime Minister, he not only supported the lowering of the age of consent for homosexuals from age 18 to 16, but quite literally championed it. When such high profile individuals support and promote such a cause, others are galvanised too, and it then increases in intensity. Many who were implacably opposed to this before may now take a more “live and let live” approach.

It has taken about half a century of hard work and constant application to arrive at the stage where “gay marriage” is now seen as a good thing, and many people who would have thought otherwise 50 years ago are now in favour of this. It’s that frog again! Unfortunately, in such a climate, young people are raised in a society where this “alternate lifestyle” is now accepted as normal.  

What can we learn from all of this? Given enough time, enough commitment and enough patience, all manner of evil can be foisted on society, and indeed has been. The year 2013 is a very different place, and with very different acceptances, than was the case 50-60 years ago. This is how the verse in Isaiah 5:20 can be explained: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”  And the next verse answers why: “Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!”

Politicians think they know better than God. Others ignore biblical teaching and many scoff. The time is coming when our countries will be punished severely, and they will wonder why. The answer will have been there all along for those with eyes to see and ears to hear.

The analogy of the frog can help us understand how Satan works and what he has achieved. We need to understand such workings and to make sure that we will never be taken in by them. We can also learn the lesson that we have a lifetime to make progress in our Christian lives, and little by little, perhaps indiscernibly at times, we should be improving, growing and overcoming which is pleasing in the sight of God. When we become more and more accustomed to positive change, then a modified “analogy” about the frog will have a desirable effect in our lives.

Joseph Ratzinger, or Pope Benedict XVI as he is known, shocked much of the world this week by breaking with tradition.  He is willingly stepping down from his office as opposed to dying in it like his predecessors have for the last 700+ years.  Perhaps even more surprising, is the plethora of criticism that has followed what most consider a conservative reign.

Der Spiegel said that “his papacy failed to introduce much-needed reforms.” The Süddeutsche Zeitung writes that he has “no understanding for the third millennium” and that the “church is no longer triumphant, nor is it combative” and “has seldom needed reform as badly as it does at the end of Pope Benedict XVI’s papacy.” Die Tageszeitung, echoing similar sentiments, wrote, “It would be good if Pope Benedict XVI was the last of his kind. And if the history books could soon write: ‘The Pope’s resignation heralded a new era, the Catholic Church had understood that it could not continue as before.'”

How does the old adage go, “be careful what you wish for, because you might get it?”

The Bible predicts that there will be a great religious leader that comes from a land in the midst of the seas and from a city that sits on seven mountains.  This is none other than Rome!  And of course the religious leader of Rome is the Pope.  The issue at hand here that many do not realize is that the great religious leader that is prophesied to come out of Rome is none other than the False Prophet.

This Pope will teach wrong doctrines and be anti-law. He will do signs and lying wonders, even making fire come from heaven. These miracles will easily fool the masses, those who will take the “mark of the beast.”  He will sit in the “inner sanctuary”, and it appears that he will be sitting in a literal temple in Jerusalem at that time and even claim to be God.  For more on the coming temple of Ezekiel, please see our new Q&A and listen to our sermon on false prophets (see below).

Through direct influence from Satan and demon possession, this man will accomplish these things and more.  He will also be able to influence world leaders — to the point that they will gather at Armageddon in preparation to foolishly fight Christ at His return.

Knowing that this is the case and that these exact events will happen, we, as Christians, are still strongly admonished to avoid being deceived by the “man of sin,” the False Prophet. Paul implies that we could succumb to the wiles of this man when he writes in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first….” This apostle identifies this harbinger as the end time. He actually prophesies that there will indeed be another apostasy, a move from true Christianity to false religion and that this will be at the time of this last leader of “Babylon the Great.” 

The Words of the Bible are written for our benefit, to aid us in the days ahead. Not just this particular caution, but all the testimony of God. We must hear them and live them and love them in order to prevent what will inevitably befall many (1 Corinthians 10:11-12; 2 Thessalonians 2:8-10; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Will this next pope indeed be “the one?” We don’t know, but need to watch.

For more information on this subject, please view this week’s StandingWatch program, “Peter of Rome–The Last Black Pope?” and listen to how to identify a false prophet, in the sermon entitled, “Unprophetable.”

When analyzing the recent apostasy in the Worldwide Church of God after Herbert Armstrong’s death, why was Satan’s first attack on the Church directed towards the true teaching about “being born again”?

Satan is not stupid and his agenda and desires are and were to be worshipped as god and to replace the one true God as the supreme Commander of the universe. Satan is very subtle and an expert in deception and lying.

The commission of the end-time Church is to preach and publish the gospel of the Kingdom of God to the world as a witness, and to feed the flock and baptize those whom God is calling and to help the Body of Christ, collectively and individually, to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

At the very core of this gospel is the correct knowledge and understanding about “being born again” and that God is reproducing Himself through mankind. When we receive the Holy Spirit at the time of our true baptism as adults, we become “begotten” members of God’s Family, but we are not yet born. Once we are born again, at the time of Christ’s return, we will be God and enter the Kingdom and Family of God as immortal Spirit beings.

The dismantling and/or changing of this understanding was crucial in Satan’s eyes to corrupt the Church, since that knowledge also includes the fact that Christ will come to establish God’s rule on this earth and to replace the rule of Satan and the demons over this present evil world, and that we, as God’s immortal sons and daughters, will be ruling mankind under Christ in the world tomorrow.

Corrupting this understanding was similar to placing a virus in a computer. Christ is the Head of the Church and if we think of the Church as a body, it stands on two legs. Applying this spiritual analogy to two legs of important doctrines, Satan proceeded in attempting to cut off one leg–that being in our case the doctrine of “born again.” Those who adopted this false understanding became inhibited, but they were still able to “stand” to an extent. To completely make them fall, Satan had to cut off both legs. And so, Satan proceeded in trying to cut off the other leg—again, in our analogy, this second leg being the doctrine about the nature of God.

The knowledge that God is a ruling Kingdom and Family, currently consisting of two members, is crucial to the true gospel, since it also helps us to understand our ultimate destiny.

Slowly turning that correct understanding to the pagan and unbiblical doctrine of the Trinity was like cutting the second leg from the body which caused the body to fall, and our former Church organization and its “obedient” members have never recovered from that fall.

These two doctrines are crucial for us to stand as a Church, and they are also crucial for the gospel message to be properly understood. In order to survive spiritually, we must never let go or compromise in any godly teaching, and that is especially true in regard to these and other foundational doctrines.

Our former Church association once had the knowledge of God’s truth, but they forsook virtually all of it through compromise and deception, and unfortunately, many members followed that corrupted path of their deceived and deceiving leadership, and much confusion and splintering have been the consequence ever since. This must serve as a warning for all of us, not to fall again for Satan’s evil devices.

Everyone likes a good story. Whether it is real or fiction, human beings seem to have an affinity for liking stories. There are so many mediums by which we tell stories. We do it through books, movies, radio, TV, Internet or by mouth. Since the creation of man, people have been recording history and stories. One of the greatest examples is the story about Noah and the Ark. It is interesting that many societies have similar stories about a worldwide flood. Of course, the names change and details vary, but it is unique that this same enduring story exists in so many diverse places. This helps to prove the authenticity of the Bible. But more than this, we need to ask the question: Why did God make us wired to enjoy stories?

Narrative is a potent and persuasive tool, and it has the ability to shape beliefs and change minds.  Advertisers have long taken advantage of narrative persuasion by sprinkling likable characters or funny stories into their commercials. The point is, when you can connect to a story, it makes it personal. That’s when it takes on meaning. It becomes real.

Growing up in God’s Church, I remember “studying” YOU lessons for the very young. The beginning ones were like coloring books in which I learned about stories in the Bible. These stories gained depth and got bigger in scope, as I made my way through the subsequent lessons. They did more than just teach the basics of the Bible. They helped to captivate the imagination of my young mind and to build an awareness of the basic truths of the Bible.  As an adult, I still love the story aspect that the Bible lays out for us. 

It is so important that parents teach the Bible to their children from a young age (Psalm 78: 1-8). Children need an awareness of the basic truths of the Bible, as they are growing up!  (Deuteronomy 6: 1-9; 11:16-19; Exodus 10: 2; 12:24-26; Ephesians 6: 4.)

Parents are to teach their children true knowledge—including the knowledge of God; of the Creator and His vast creation; of His authority and rulership over the creation He brought into being and now sustains; of the invisible yet unstoppable spiritual laws that He set in motion to regulate relationships and to produce happiness, peace and everything good; of the biblical definition of sin as simply being the transgression of these laws operating for our good; of God’s purpose being worked out here below, and of His plan for working it out; of the biblical revelation of Christ and what He means to us today; and of the vital connection between, on the one hand, case histories, incidents and experiences, and, on the other hand, God’s overall purpose and the Gospel.

But it is not just children who need these stories. Even the more “mature” members in God’s Church need them. Matthew 18: 3 tells all of us to be “converted and become as little children.” All of us need to be meek and humble enough to be willing to listen to the stories of the Bible. They are there for us to use and to learn from.

Last week Lance Armstrong, a professional cyclist who captured the admiration of millions of fans for his record-setting Tour de France victories, confessed to cheating during the races for each of his seven wins.  Lance Armstrong’s life will be turned upside down because his history of cheating and lying has stripped him of the core pieces of his identity. In the public view, he who was once an inspiring victor is now a cheating liar who can’t be trusted. Many people, including me, have inwardly defended him over the years as he endured the accusations of taking performance enhancing drugs to win races. Even though he has decided to come clean and tell the truth, many people who were once his fans will refuse to support him now because they feel deceived and betrayed. Because the trust of the public has been violated so blatantly, it will not be surprising to see even his professed genuine honesty called into question, as he begins the process of making right what he has done wrong. There is a long road ahead for Lance Armstrong, as he attempts to rise from this great fall.

Even though it is significant, the fact that Lance Armstrong cheated in order to win is not what is interesting to me about this story. What is interesting to me is the study of character and the effects of decisions made in the past and present. In a general way, this situation is something that is probably familiar to the life of a Christian, from many angles. Just as Lance Armstrong cheated and lied, people including Christians choose to do what is wrong and make mistakes. This is the sin that we work so hard to overcome. Just as Lance Armstrong negatively affected the lives of people directly and indirectly through his wrong behavior, when a Christian sins, there are ill effects. Just as Lance Armstrong has chosen to admit his wrongdoing and follow the right path even though it may be difficult, a Christian must turn from the wrong and do what is right and godly, no matter what the world around may think. And just as Lance Armstrong will suffer consequences of his past behavior, sin bears its ugly and disgusting fruit. You and I may not be world class bicycle racers, but we should all relate to this story.

There are several lessons that we can extract from this story, but the lesson of repentance stands out the most to me. Admitting when we are wrong and doing what is right is a primary duty of a Christian, and often it is not easy. Yet, repentance is absolutely required for a Christian. In Matthew 3:8, John the Baptist states that we must bear fruit that is worthy of repentance, meaning that merely acknowledging fault, but doing nothing about it is not enough. James 2:22 reminds us that our actions prove our faith. And we must have faith that following the righteous path will bring about results that are pleasing to God, even if the world around us rejects us. The fruit born of righteous behavior and a genuinely repentant heart is pleasing to God, if no one else.

Doing what’s right, even though there are negative consequences, is what characterizes integrity.  Integrity is an element that is tightly bound to the act of repentance because the change in course of action involves indicting ourselves and facing the consequences of our sin. By cheating, Lance Armstrong’s seven Tour de France victories have been stripped from him, and his eligibility to compete in professional events has been suspended. Beyond that, even by admitting his guilt, there will be consequences which may prevent him from being trusted. While I hesitate to extend much praise to him, admitting wrong takes serious self-examination and integrity for any man, including Lance Armstrong.

When we repent of sin, we are forgiven by God and spared from the penalty of eternal death, but this does not necessarily mean that other results of our sins will come of no effect. When David sinned by committing adultery with Bathsheba and coordinating the murder of her husband Uriah, he repented, but the consequences of his actions were multiplicative. From that day forward, David’s house saw conflict, the baby conceived by David and Bathsheba died, and his own son committed sexual sins with some of David’s concubines in plain sight (compare 2 Samuel 12:10-14). Yet, David was forgiven for his sin by God because he had the right, repentant attitude and character. By admitting his fault and facing the consequences with a humble attitude, David demonstrated the trait of integrity in a way from which we can all learn. The life of a Christian must be lived with behavior that proves his or her integrity, because doing what is right is what God requires, no matter what.

On January 16, 1986, Herbert W. Armstrong died.

Who was Herbert Armstrong? Many of you know that he was the late founder of the Worldwide Church of God and many other national and international organizations. But many may also know that he has been described and labeled in just about every way imaginable.

He has been viewed as a prophet, an apostle, the Elijah to come—a saint with almost superhuman insight who spoke and wrote under godly and unalterable inspiration. Some have actually given him a God-like status, just falling short of worshipping him.

Others have condemned him as a false prophet, a wrong teacher who perverted the gospel. They have accused him of the most gruesome personal sins and shortcomings.

Who was Herbert Armstrong?

When they received the news of his death, political leaders and dignitaries from around the world responded and called him “a giant man” who did “an important work,” and whose “good deeds were felt in many corners of the world.”  He was described as a “great spiritual leader” and a “great man of vision” who “led a life of benevolence, altruism and the drive for better understanding among peoples.” He was referred to as a man “truly dedicated to the cause of serving humanity” whose death constituted an “irreplaceable loss for the world at large.” He was especially called, among others, a friend of Israel, Thailand and China.

Some accused him of being “in it for the money” and of ulterior motives–of being a racist who advocated war, not peace.

Prior to his death, the King of Belgium gave him a special watch to honor him as one of four individuals who “had made the most significant contribution toward world peace.” He was called “an ambassador for world peace” and “a builder of bridges between the nations.” At one time, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

So who was Herbert Armstrong?

The answer is simple. He was a man with “a nature like ours” (compare James 5:17). He made mistakes. He sinned, repented and received forgiveness from God. However, he was not guilty of any of the accusations alluded to in this Editorial, which have been launched by ill-informed or malicious people who distort and lie about the truth. Yet, Herbert Armstrong was no superman and most certainly not a God-like being (he himself thundered against that notion in sermons, hitting the desk with his fist for emphasis)—but he was also not a false prophet or a wrong teacher.

Rather, he was an “apostle”—one who “was sent” to preach powerfully “this gospel of the kingdom” “in all the world as a witness to all the nations” (Matthew 24:14). He did not speak or write with godly infallibility, and he was willing to change when proven wrong, but he restored—as no other individual during his lifetime—fundamental truths and biblical values to the Church of God.

In a member letter, dated January 12, 2006, I wrote the following about Herbert Armstrong:

“Mr. Armstrong was a remarkable man. I remember how he encouraged all of us in one of his last sermons to continue learning and overcoming… Those who think and teach that the fullness of God’s truth was restored to the Church during Mr. Armstrong’s life refuse to follow one of Mr. Armstrong’s most fundamental instructions—that of CHANGE when one is found to be wrong…”

But I also wrote this:

“Mr. Armstrong would be the first to dismiss, with his thundering voice, the concept that the Church should ever refuse to continue to preach the gospel into all the world…”

Where does this leave us, today? The Work which God began in these end times through Herbert Armstrong must be continued by God’s true servants. But Mr. Armstrong warned the brethren before his death that a falling away from the truth would occur in the Church. It has occurred, as we all should know, but it’s not over yet.

I would like to close with these concluding words from the January 2006 member letter, and pray that those who mislabel Mr. Armstrong in any way might begin to uphold and follow what Christ led him to do:

“Mr. Armstrong is dead, but Christ is very much alive (compare Isaiah 63:16)… the truth that was revealed continues to be taught and grows among those who are faithful to the Head of the Body—Jesus Christ! It is the living Christ who cleanses His Church and prepares it for His Coming (Ephesians 5:25-27). Those who follow Christ (Revelation 14:4) will have made themselves ready, when He returns (Revelation 19:7).”

In late November of 2012, just a few weeks ago, the Church of England voted against the ordination of women bishops. In 1975, they had voted for women priests, and the ordination of women bishops was considered to be the next logical step.  On 12 March 1994, the first 32 women had been ordained as Church of England priests.

The measure to consecrate women as bishops was backed overwhelmingly by the Church of England Synod, but fell short of the required two thirds majority among the laity.   Having set up their own voting system, it appears that when that system doesn’t deliver what the majority wants, then recriminations start.

Many prominent people uttered their dismay.  The current Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, warned that the decision would diminish the Church’s credibility in the public eye.  The Archbishop elect also wanted the measure to go through as did Lord Carey, a previous Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Prime Minister was disappointed with the outcome, and one prominent politician said that there was no theological reason why women shouldn’t be bishops, and he was bemoaning the lack of political considerations in the church!

The good and the great lined up to decry the result, and there was talk of having another vote soon. One speaker said that the church must reconvene to discuss this, meaning that the wrong result was reached. That reminded me of the situation where the Euro was voted against by Ireland and another vote was taken later when the decision was overturned. Just keep voting until you get the answer you want!

Headlines in UK newspapers included “Women bishops: a failure of leadership”; “Women bishops: Did feminism undermine the campaign?”;  “Church has lost credibility in society, says Archbishop”; plus many others.

There was discussion about the “antidisestablishmentarianism” issue, which means “opposition to the disestablishment of the Church of England”; that is, not to remove the Anglican Church’s status as the state Church of England. Some thoughts were expressed that perhaps now was the time to separate the national church from the state.

In the interviews I saw and the reports I read, Scripture was generally conspicuous by its absence. The biblical teaching that women are to keep silent in the churches (1 Corinthians 14:34; 1 Timothy 2:11-12) was raised once in my hearing, and not answered. One submission was that since Jesus was born of a woman and the first person to see Jesus after the crucifixion was also a woman, women should be allowed to become bishops!! I felt that that was hardly a convincing argument!

Should we be surprised? For years, the Church of England has had senior figures giving the distinct impression that they didn’t believe in the Word of God.  Some years ago, one bishop was reported as saying that the crucifixion was a “conjuring trick with bones.” This same person became one of the first clerics in the Church of England to publicly bless a civil partnership between two homosexual men, one of whom was a vicar! It seems that it is expected that God has to conform to the requirements of modern society.

There is little fidelity to the Bible today in the world outside of the true Church of God. His instruction manual is consistently ignored. Those of us who believe in the Bible are not subject to the dictates of men or political pressure; nor are we pressed into “modernising”. We simply let the Bible be our guide and had the Church of England taken the same stance, the voting over women priests and women bishops would never have been undertaken in the first place, and much angst and difficulties would have been eliminated.

For more information, please read our Q&A, entitled “Sermons by Women?” and our booklet, “The Keys to Happy Marriages and Families“.

When the lights go out and we are left in the pitch black, typically the first thing we search for is a source of light – a flashlight, a candle, etc.  Without light, we are prone to stumble and fumble.  Sometimes the smallest things will trip us up in our quest to find what we are looking for.  Also, along the way we will grasp several wrong items as we probe for the right one.

Spiritually speaking, the same condition currently exists today.  There is a pitch black that has descended upon this world. Because of it, people are wandering blindly, grabbing and taking a hold of whatever they run into, believing it to be a means of helping themselves.     

In the darkness, they have grabbed a hold of guns for protection; politicians or parties for guidance; money for deliverance; man-made or contrived philosophies for salvation; science for true knowledge; war for accomplishing peace; poisons for healing; the unjust for justice; and the list goes on and on as the blind continue to follow the blind.

The world as an overwhelming whole has rejected the ONE thing that can shed light on these subjects and give us the answers we are looking for: God and His Way as outlined by the Bible.  Of course, those who have not read and studied the pages of the “Owner’s Manual” will scoff at the idea that this could possibly be the solution for the ills of mankind.

Isaiah describes the condition of man in this way: “Therefore justice is far from us, Nor does righteousness overtake us; We look for light, but there is darkness! For brightness, but we walk in blackness! We grope for the wall like the blind, And we grope as if we had no eyes; We stumble at noonday as at twilight; We are as dead men in desolate places” (Isaiah 59:9-10).

BUT, before we begin to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to, we need to reflect on whether we still have blind-spots, things God wants us to see, but that we cannot notice because we are not walking completely in the light?  Do we see everything clearly that we need to, or is it vague because we have not come completely out of the shadows?

We were once floundering in the dark, trying out the misdirected ways of the world, but God in His mercy has turned on the light for us, “in the hope that [we] might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us…” (Acts 17:27).

Expectations for the coming year of 2013 are not full of hope! Rather, there seems to be a sense of resignation that problems will not be resolved and that things are steadily getting worse!

Violence fills the earth as nations arm themselves with ever more potent ways to kill. Wars are being continually fought, but peace is never achieved. Senseless mass shootings tear apart communities and there just doesn’t seem to be any way to understand “why.”

Not only this coming year, but the years immediately ahead are destined to be the darkest in all of human history—Jesus prophesied of this:

“‘For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened’” (Matthew 24:21-22).

And…

“‘And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken’” (Luke 21:25-26).

We cannot, we must not, ignore the reality of the future! For those who have the understanding of God’s Word and who believe what Jesus Christ reveals to His servants, now is the time to become even more diligent in our calling, to overcome and to persevere. Note that Jesus has very clearly prepared us for what is coming when He said, “‘See, I have told you beforehand’” (Matthew 24:25).

In spite of the bad news of the immediate years ahead, there really is good news in our future, and it is found in the Gospel message preached by Jesus Christ, by His faithful apostles and by the Church of God throughout the generations!

As we face both next year and the tumultuous times ahead, we have reason for hope and unwavering confidence in the future that lies just beyond—Jesus stated:

“‘Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near’” (Luke 21:27-28).

Years ago there was a character in the pages of the funnies, called “Dennis the Menace.” Some of us may remember that character. Around Christmas time, they had a cartoon of him, sitting on a pyramid-shaped six feet high pile of toys and gifts, saying: “Is this all?” This typifies the slogan that “greed knows no bounds.”

When is enough of anything enough? 

Imagine for a moment that God gave you eternal life, perfect conduct, wisdom and beauty, and the possibility and ability to carry out your responsibilities. Would that be enough for you?

It was not enough for Satan.

Ezekiel 28:12-17 tells us this: 

“Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created. You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you.

“By the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence within, And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, That they might gaze at you.”

Something happened to the symbolic “king of Tyre”—none other than Lucifer, the bright star of the dawn, who became Satan, the prince of darkness. Along the way, he became corrupted by pride and as a result, his position and what he had been given were not enough for him. He not only wanted to possess and rule the whole physical universe, but also the spirit realm where God dwells. He convinced 1/3rd  of all the angels to follow him and went up to heaven to overthrow God. This attempted coup did not work, and he and the demons were cast back down to earth.

Isaiah 14:12-14 informs us of this:

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.”

When his mind became corrupted, he felt dissatisfaction with his lot in life, and he wanted more. This whole attitude of craving for more permeates this holiday season.  People receive gifts and think they should be bigger, better and more expensive. They may also feel they deserve additional gifts. Not that the custom of giving gifts at Christmas times is anything biblical to begin with, but the accompanying attitude of many of those who receive gifts is even more telling.

No one seems to think about the admonition from Paul, as we read in Philippians 4:10-13:

“But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

What Paul is saying is that there are good times and not so good times, but he learned to be content with what he had, and he looked to Christ. What a lesson for people in the world today who never seem to be content with their physical possessions, who suffer from greed and who never know when enough is enough.

So we are left with this question: When is enough–enough?