One of the major responsibilities which Christ gave His Church is to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God to the world as a witness. Failing to do so would have devastating consequences for all of us.

We understand that we can only move forward in this task, when God provides us with both the income and the opportunities or open doors. The fact that we are not a large group of tens of thousands of members does not diminish our duty to do what we can with what is being given to us.

This responsibility will be carried forward into the Millennium, after the return of Christ, and we know by what is written in the 14th chapter of the book of Zechariah that some nations will not accept the gospel message gladly and with open arms—because that message includes obedience to God’s laws and the keeping of the Sabbath and the annual Holy Days. It will require a change of heart for carnal people to accept God’s law, because the carnal mind is enmity against the law of God, and unwilling and unable to keep it. So, at first, man’s animosity towards the gospel message will continue to exist.

Notice Zechariah 14:16-19:

“And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain. If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.”

The gospel message includes a warning to this world, pointing at horrible times to come, before Christ returns. Today, many will not listen, but this must not discourage us to fulfill our commission. The major harvest of the sowing of the seed of God by God’s servants throughout mankind’s existence will come to fruition in the Millennium and during the Great White Throne Judgment period.

Just because we are small doesn’t mean we have no impact. A mustard seed almost looks like dust, yet it grows up to become a large tree. The challenge of proclaiming God’s gospel is before us now in this day and age, and this task will continue in the ages to come. Let us ensure that we are about our Father’s business in announcing to this world the only hope for all of mankind.

A little over a year ago April 4th, I was laid off from my job. I spent the next nine months looking for work. Every day was a struggle to keep a positive attitude and remind myself that God was in charge and had a plan in place that He was working out for me. Every job interview I would ask myself, “Is this the one?” and “Is today the day?” And many times I would walk away excited about the prospect, feeling good about the interview, and then would come the call that I interviewed well but that for various reasons they were not going to hire me.
 
Then one day I got a job… it was just for a couple days, filing paper work. But I put my heart into it (Ecclesiastes 9:10). I wasn’t expecting this to turn into anything. It was just a little side job. But as it happened, things began to grow. It was incredible and mind blowing to see how God was opening doors before my very eyes and I had nothing to do with it.
 
It made me realize that after all the time and effort that I had put in, it was still in God’s hands.  The church is a family, a growing living organism. In the New Testament, the preservation of the early church was promised to Peter.  In Matthew 16:18-19, it is also promised that though there would be problems, the church would never fail. God’s hand has never slipped. He has always been there, leading and guiding those who are carrying on the commission given to the church to “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).
 
When we spend the time in doing the right things, in seeking after God, He promises us that there will be no lack of doors opening for us (Matthew 7:7-8). We need to make sure that we are the ones knocking on doors, trying to seek out and understand God’s will for us, both in the church and in our individual lives. If we continue to knock and seek, we can be assured that we will be able to be with Christ at His return. Revelation 3:8 says: “I know your works. See I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” Revelation 3:20 adds: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door,  I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”
 
Christ is actively seeking to be a part of our lives. He wants us to open up ourselves so that He can come and live in us as it says. We must choose this for ourselves. The doors are there, waiting for us to choose which ones we will walk through.

Survival at the end of this age is something that has certainly occupied the thoughts of many of us. I’ve observed even secular conversations comparing measures of preparation and ideas about how the end of this age may come. Natural disaster, war, and economic collapse, along with their triggers strike fear into the hearts of many. While all of the above calamities are supported by the Bible, the one thing we know is that the end-time fulfillment during the Day of the Lord will come about as a punishment for disobedience to God, and for a purpose.
 
Even though God does not call many in this day and age for salvation, He will work very hard to wake up the inhabitants of this world by causing their circumstances to turn sour, but “will He really find faith on the Earth?” (Luke 18:8). God desires that as many people as possible turn away from sin and look at Him for strength. Only in the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ will we find salvation; not in a bunker filled with weapons. When we allow ourselves to be corrected, when we repent and turn to God, it pleases Him greatly. As we read in Luke 15:10, “Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
 
With all of this in mind, it’s one thing to consider the proper response to massive world-wide correction, it’s another thing to ask ourselves how we respond when we’re trying our hardest to turn to God, but are still experiencing hardship. How do we respond in the face of adversity? Do we get angry, frustrated, discouraged, and give up? As we have learned, sometimes the answer from God is “No.” [http://eternalgod.org/update/2070#Editorial5140]. When our circumstances become difficult even when we try our hardest, does it cause us to lose faith in God and begin to question our beliefs in the truth? Of course, as much as our human nature is prone to respond this way, we must not.
 
When we face troubles at each turn, even if our intents and efforts are genuine, our response must be to keep our focus on God. Habakkuk 3:17-18 serves as an encouraging meditation, “Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” We may find trouble in the lives that we live, but the fact remains that we have true, eternal salvation as an irrevocable source of joy in our lives, free for the taking, as long as we choose to remain faithful and turn to God.

Sodom and Gomorrah occupy an infamous place in history. For their vile wickedness and the shameless sins they committed, God brought about their complete destruction.

These two cities became what they were through a process of time. Much like the rise and fall of great nations and empires, a kind of rottenness began to take hold until it just went too far.

Lot lived in Sodom, and Peter writes of him that he “was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)” (2 Peter 2:7-8).

We who desire to live as godly examples in the world of the ungodly are also “oppressed” and “tormented” by what we see and hear! We know that our times are perilous and filled with unspeakable lawlessness: In the Western Nations, such as the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia and those of Europe, racial hatred gives way to murder; homosexuality and lesbianism are pushed in the media and through legislative acts as acceptable and normal, families are being shattered through divorce; abortions are commonplace; God is not honored—His Name is a vile expletive among youth and adults, nor are His laws known or obeyed; and the list of corruptions and pollutions of this world seems endless!

Things are getting worse—everything!

Just as happened to Sodom and Gomorrah, so sin will reach its full measure, and God will intervene. However, in the meantime, we face a challenge that has confronted every person who has sought to live a righteous life. Paul addresses this:

“Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life…” (Philippians 2:14-16).

For all the evil that we see and hear about every day of our lives, and although we sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done, we look forward—with ever-increasing hope—to the return of Jesus Christ and the part we will have with Him in the Kingdom of God (and that also, “from day to day”)!

I am writing this Editorial from Germany, just prior to the Last Day of Unleavened Bread. Recent events have emphasized again for my wife and me that our life is not in our hands, and that it is not in man to direct his path. Rather, we must rely on and trust in God at all times, especially when it is difficult to do so and when no solutions seem to be in sight or even possible.

We had planned to bring my almost 86-year-old mom back with us to the USA on our return trip on April 16. Several developments rendered the execution of that plan impossible. First, my mom’s condition has been deteriorating so much that she could not fly at this point. We have consistently prayed for the opposite result, but we have also prayed for God’s Will to be shown to us and to be done.

Until today, we were still waiting to see whether or not to postpone our current flight to see either an improvement or the opposite in my mom’s condition, but another unexpected message reached us from the USA. A pipe in our home had burst, causing major water damage in several of our rooms, including my office, bedroom and guest room, making them presently uninhabitable and necessitating lengthy repairs. Our son is supervising the progress and told us that it is a mess and to stay away from home as long as possible.

As bad as this development appeared, it forced us to make the decision to postpone our return flights. The decision to do so was made for us through circumstances beyond our control. Obviously, God made clear to us what He expected us to do, even though this was not what we had hoped for.

When this Editorial is published, maybe further decisions have been made for us—whatever they may be – or the immediate future might still be uncertain. We know that we are in God’s hands, and that He knows best.

Still, it is not easy to cope with trials like these, but we must remind ourselves daily that God will not allow any trial to overtake us which is too difficult for us to bear, and that He will show us the way of escape, so that we can endure it. For that, we must be deeply grateful.

Not too long ago, I happened to come across a photograph on the Internet of an old friend of mine from nearly half a century ago! This old friend lived close to our family in the 1950’s and early 1960’s in the north-east of England. I only had one photograph of him in a group from long ago, but I could still visualise him in my mind’s eye. I first of all recognised his name and then could certainly see a big resemblance to someone I knew from the distant past. As he was presenting an award at a prestigious university, I did have a point of contact and, after a number of e-mails and telephone calls, his wife rang me and remembered me even though I could only recall meeting her once.

It got me to thinking about recognition and all that it entails. We can be recognised by our facial characteristics and by our voice (and maybe even our mannerisms), but what about being recognised by our behaviour? As we have been called by God, we are to be a light to the world, but would our behaviour give that impression to anyone who didn’t know about our Christian faith?

As someone once asked, “If we were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict us?” What if someone followed us around all week, what would they discover? Would we be showing the fruit of God’s Spirit? What would those who knew us well have to say? Would we pass the test? Or would we be shown as falling far short of that which was expected of us?

Recently, we kept the Passover and are now keeping the Days of Unleavened Bread, before which we should have undergone a time of personal examination. Were we diligent in that approach, and has it paid off with us being more recognisable as someone who does indeed follow the full instructions of the Bible and the teachings of Christ?

In a few weeks time, we will be celebrating another one of God’s Holy Days, the Feast of Pentecost (see Acts 2), when the Holy Spirit was given on that wonderful day nearly 2,000 years ago. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit will enable those who come into contact with us to recognise that we do behave differently from society and, that there is something different about us.

But, most importantly of all, God will recognise His own.

When Jesus came to Earth as a human, He was able to live a perfect and sinless life.  We are to follow our Example (1 Peter 2:21) and keep all the commandments of God (1 John 5:2-3) and move on towards a sinless perfection (Hebrews 6:1).  

Being fully human just as we are, how did Christ manage to live to such a high standard?  The simple and quick answer is that He utilized the Holy Spirit and kept His eye on the goal ahead.  Now the more pertinent question for us today: how are we to follow in the steps of Christ and lead the same exemplary life?  The simple and quick answer is in the same exact way that He did! 

We have the goal of the Kingdom of God set before us (Matthew 6:33) and to help us get there, we have at our disposal the same exact means Jesus had …that is the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:6, 11).  We have access to the very power of God with which all things are possible (Mark 10:27). 

Through the Passover Lamb, Christ, the Spirit of God was made more readily available (John 1:29, 36; 16:7).  Now it is incumbent upon us who are imbued with the selfsame Holy Spirit to make the most of it by calling upon God for the help that we need in order to live a more perfect life.  If we do ask God for this help, He will hear and answer us, enabling us to accomplish THE goal of eternal life in His Family.

Making choices is something we do on a daily basis, and a lot of those choices are made by rote and habit and we don’t think a lot about them or try to analyse them. Minor things like which sock to put on our feet first or which side of the bread to butter first are not crucial choices, so we don’t normally spend a lot of time pondering them.

There are of course other choices that are more critical and therefore we should take more time with those before proceeding.  Generally, the more you are affected personally or how it impacts your family determines how much time you will analyse the potential outcome of a decision.

You would not flippantly go out and buy a car without talking to your spouse about it as to what kind of car, is it the right time, can you afford it–these are all aspects one has to consider prior to making this kind of decision.

God was quite clear on the choices Israel should make, and He tells them about it in the book of Deuteronomy:

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20).

Notice, God calls heaven and earth as witnesses in the choices He wants his people to make and also gives a strong admonition to choose life rather than death.

We in the church have been essentially given the same choices, but our choices have to do with our being called to salvation now!  The big difference is that if we make the wrong choice and choose a way of life leading to death, once having been called and baptized, then we would suffer the second death.

Israel was challenged to choose to obey God. However, most of them did not listen to God, and they will not attain the first resurrection, but they will be resurrected physically in the future and given an opportunity for salvation (compare Romans 11:26).

We, on the other hand, can choose life through obedience once we receive God’s Spirit, which He only gives to those who obey: “And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him” (Acts 5:32).

The inverse of this would also be true. That is, God does not give His spirit to those who disobey.

For us the choice to obey God is a rather crucial and important one coupled with the great reward of eternal life if we remain faithful and make those right choices in our lives.

God lamented about the nation of Israel when He asked the question:

“Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’” (Ezekiel 33:11).

Anguish is shown here over the bad choices Israel was making–which unfortunately would lead to death.

We, at this juncture of history, are faced with the ultimate choices . We can choose to live through obedience and eventually inherit eternal life, or we can choose to  die through disobedience and receive eternal death , the second death from which there is no resurrection!

Life is full of choices, let’s ensure we are making the correct ones and choosing life.

The decisions that we are faced with every single day determine whether or not the right or wrong choice is being made. We in the church have to make sure that we decide wisely, especially since we are to set the right example; for we are the few who have been called out of this world (1 Corinthians 1:26-28).  As Jesus Christ says in John 15:19, “… Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” 
 
Let’s think about what this means. The day will come when the WHOLE WORLD will HATE us because of our beliefs.  There may be people right now that we don’t get along with, whatever the reason may be, but this pales by comparison with what is to come.  Do we become so wrapped up in what other people think about us, that it could cause us to make wrong choices?  Satan, who is very cunning, finds ways to get into our heads, causing us to get sidetracked and lose focus on the bigger picture, and as a result, we become blindsided by our faulty decision-making. 
 
To avoid this, we need God for direction (Isaiah 28:29).  We do make wrong choices from time to time, but we have God to help us, which is why prayer is crucial in ANY circumstance (Colossians 1:9; Ephesians 6:18).
 
We are faced with making decisions as the annual church conference is upon us, by focusing on the mission and purpose the church is set out to do (Mark 16:15).  Through faith and trust in God, we can be confident the right choices will be made.  We bear a certain responsibility in the church, and due to that, we will be faced at times with pressure situations, because we must live as examples by staying true to our faith.  Since we do not compromise with our beliefs, as God does not compromise (Malachi 3:6), we have stood up for what is right, and many will come to realize where we stand, based on our convictions. This shows how we are to be good examples; why it is crucial that correct decisions have to be made.
 
God’s purpose for mankind is the same today, as it was then!  Every person on this earth makes choices, every day, whether they will live righteously or not. But there is one critical difference. While the world continues to go its evil way, there is a group of people that God has called out of this world; to come out from the evil ways, and to live their lives based upon His laws, His statutes, and His judgments!  Even God had a choice to make, choosing those out of the world for a purpose, for God only called and chose the few (James 1:18).
 
Yes, God has called you and me at this time, and He has given us His Spirit and His Law.  As God did so in ancient times, He has also given us a choice to make: “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply…But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish… I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days…” (Deuteronomy 30:15-20).
 
He has said to us: “Choose life!” What choices will we make, today?  More importantly, will God be pleased with the choices we make?  Simply put, do we want to live or die? Do we want to keep God’s commandments, or do we want to break them? To reiterate once again, God has called you and me at this time; He has given us His Spirit and His Law; and He has said to us: “Choose life!”

In the world of business, the size of profit is typically proportionate to the size of risk – the greater the potential profit, the greater the risk. Of course, the corollary is true as well. The cost of failure is proportionate to the magnitude of risk. This principle is simple to understand, but applying it as a formula for success is far from easy. Merely undertaking a risky endeavor does not automatically carry the promise of profit.

Yet, accept the risk and profit we must! In spiritual terms, God provides us with an amazing profit and reward for our efforts. The gift of eternal life and rulership in God’s Kingdom await us, if we decide to live by faith and abide by the way of life that God prescribes.

With a reward so great, where is the risk? Is there a proportionate cost of failure for us, if we decide to answer God’s calling to live His Way? Indeed, the cost of failure is just as great. The risk lies in falling victim to sin, and the cost or wages of sin is death. By allowing ourselves to fall under the influence of Satan’s temptations and worldly desires, we separate ourselves from God and invoke the risk of losing the promised gift and profit. Proverbs 10:2 reminds us, “Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, But righteousness delivers from death.” Choosing worldly gain at the expense of Godly righteousness brings us the opposite result we desire.

Fortunately, there is absolutely no risk at all that the gift of eternal life will be revoked by the One offering it, unless we cause this to happen. As long as we repent from sin, accept the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and turn to Him, it is available to us. We ourselves would be the only ones responsible for losing it. The rules are clear—abide by the commandments of God, come out of the world, develop spiritual fruits, and inherit eternal life and the profit of rulership in the Kingdom of God.

The gift of eternal life is the ultimate prize we seek, but we must not wait until the end-time judgment to become profitable. God has provided us with an investment, giving us all the same opportunity to inherit the Kingdom of God. In addition, He has given many of us His Holy Spirit, so that we may grow and profit with it. As familiar as it is, reviewing the parable of the unprofitable servant (Matthew 25:14-30) serves as a good reminder that God has great expectations for us. “For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away” (Matthew 25:29).

With the Spirit of God living in us, God’s investment has limitless potential for growth. If we do nothing with it; if we hide it away; we fail. Fortunately, the risk of failure is completely within our realm of control. Sin or neglect can cause our failure, if we allow it to. However, we can add the work, thought, and nurturing it takes to develop profitable results right now. Isn’t this great promise of profit worth investing in?