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?

Is correction merely an unpleasant enduring of punishment, or do you willingly and humbly accept correction as a means of improvement?
 
A recurring theme arises in the Bible–it is what God did, does now and will continue to do to correct His people. That fact has pivotal ramifications for each one of us!
 
It is quite plain, based on the many accounts preserved in the Word of God, that mankind has stubbornly rebelled against God through disobedience to His laws. In spite of His instructions and patient warnings, people seem to–for the most part–reject God’s correction. One such example is that of the people of Judah, who simply went too far in their prideful dismissal of God:
 
“And the LORD God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, till there was no remedy” (2 Chronicles 36:15-16; compare also 2 Kings 17 regarding Israel’s rebellion and the terrible penalty brought upon themselves).
 
We also know that in the future, God will punish the entire earth (Isaiah 26:21)–He will send His Son Jesus Christ to accomplish this. Even during this dramatic confrontation between God and mankind, most will continue to resist God and utterly refuse to repent (compare Revelation 9:20-21; 16:9, 11).
 
Both from history and from prophecy, then, we have clear and unambiguous examples of defiant human beings who neither would nor will listen to God’s warnings–but what about right now?
 
When a sermon is presented; an article written; counsel given or any number of opportunities arise to be reminded of God’s Will–are we going to be the exception and actually make it personal and improve?
 
No clearer message, no more urgent admonishment calls to us from God than that given to the Church of God in Laodicea, “‘As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent'” (Revelation 3:19).
 
This is correction for the people of God from Jesus Christ, the One Who is our Lord and Master–can YOU take it?

Have you ever slipped? Did you have moments when you felt you just could not go on? Did you withdraw? Were you ready to throw in the towel? Did you lose your way?

If so, you might be surprised to learn that you would not have been alone. Many great heroes in the Bible experienced feelings of doubt, frustration, disappointment and disillusionment. What matters in such moments is how we deal with them. Remember, even the righteous may fall seven times and rise again (Proverbs 24:16). True friends can help in the process.

One of the great inspired writings in God’s Word is the gospel record of Mark. Even though the Bible does not specifically say that Mark penned the account, numerous documents from the early Church unanimously identify him as the author, and they tell us that it was Peter who more or less dictated the account to Mark (compare 1 Peter 5:13, where Peter calls Mark affectionately “my son”). Mark was actually the Roman surname of his Hebrew name John, and Peter had known Mark or John Mark for a long time (Acts 12:12). It seemed that Mark had significant contact with Peter and the other leaders within the Jerusalem church. Mark might have been the “certain young man” who left his linen cloth and fled naked from the soldiers when Christ was arrested (Mark 14:51-52).

Mark was a cousin of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10). He accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their early missionary travels (Acts 12:25). Later, Paul referred to Mark as one of his fellow laborers (Philemon 23-24), who was useful to him in the ministry (2 Timothy 4:11).

But after Paul and Barnabas had been ordained as apostles and went on a missionary journey, John Mark decided not to continue with them on their journey, but to return to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13). We are not told why Mark made this decision, and we can surmise from other passages that Paul was not pleased with Mark’s conduct. It is implied in Scripture that for whatever unknown reasons, Mark was not willing to fulfill the need of the Work at the time. And so we read that on a later occasion, a strong controversy arose between Paul and Barnabas over Mark and his prior departure.

Acts 15:36-41 states: “Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.’ Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work. Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus; but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.”

However, the Bible does not specifically comment on who was to blame for this rather strong contention and the subsequent parting of the ways between Paul and Barnabas. When reading between the lines and considering other passages, it appears that Barnabas was correct in trying to give Mark another opportunity. Barnabas was a very compassionate man, “a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith” (Acts 11:24), and it was he who brought Paul to the early apostles, who were concerned about Paul’s true conversion, due to his prior terrible acts (Acts 9:26-27). So it appears that Paul could and should have followed Barnabas’ example and grant the same mercy to Mark, which he himself had received. But we know that later, Paul and Mark worked together again, and as we have seen, Mark became a fellow laborer in the Work and useful to Paul’s ministry.

Let us assume for a moment that things had turned out differently; that both Paul and Barnabas had refused to take Mark with them on further travels; that Mark had become deeply disappointed with them, and as a consequence, that he had even forsaken the faith.

For one, he would not have used the information received from Peter to pen his gospel record, and we would not have today important information about the ministry of Jesus Christ. Mark would not have been a useful tool in God’s ministry, undoubtedly helping some, if not many, to come to the true faith.

Fortunately, Mark did not give up. He continued in the faith. He did not harbor any grudges against Paul, and he did not allow a spirit of resentment and lack of forgiveness to settle in his mind. Rather, he became one of the giants in the Bible.

Have you ever felt like giving up? Are you feeling like that right now? If so, think of Mark. He repented of what he might have done wrong, and pressed forward toward the goal of eternal life in the Kingdom of God. He did not allow anything or anyone to stand in the way. And that is what we must do… always…

Jesus said that it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35), and His life was one dedicated to that very end. God the Father “so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

What examples both God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, set for all those who follow their calling to God’s way of life. Giving is demonstrated by God’s actions, and His Word is replete with examples. They set the standard in giving, and we are to follow that lead in our own lives.

When Paul addressed the Aeropagus, he spoke about the attributes of God when he said: “Nor is He worshipped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything since He gives to all life, breath, and all things” (Acts 17:25).

We have been taught in the Church, for decades, that there are two ways of life – that of the “give” way and that of the “get” way. But how giving are we?

We know that there are many that receive from us our weekly Update either by e-mail or a hard copy through the post, our monthly letters, sermon tapes and CD’s, new booklets and other material. But it does take money to keep giving away, free of charge, all of this material to all who ask—and far too many recipients outside the Church seem to take our service of love for granted.

Church members, inevitably, understand the principles of tithing and giving. Perhaps it never enters the minds of those who have received material from us for years that we rely on such income to be able to continue to give. Some, of course, may just not be able to give due to difficult financial circumstances. But for those who are serious about God’s way of life and who are capable of paying their share in the proclamation of the gospel, giving is a must.

How are we doing? Do we practice the give way? If so, then Scripture tells us that we are only doing what we ought to do. “So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say: ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done that was our duty to do’” (Luke 17:10). If we are not practicing the give way, then it is time to reconsider our approach. We are responsible for the knowledge that we have been given!

When we have come before God in prayer asking fervently, obediently, faithfully, humbly and persistently for something … what are we to do when God says, “No”?
 
First, we can realize that we are in good company.  God has said “No” to many notables in the Bible: David, when he wanted to build the temple; Paul, regarding the thorn in the flesh; and even Jesus when He asked that the cup be taken from Him.  If God has said it on occasion to this most illustrious group, then surely we can expect that He is going to be saying it to us at times. 
 
As we look back on the many things that we have prayed about, we may realize that this is already the case – perhaps many times over.  What next then?  We need to accept it, learn from it, and move on.
 
Obviously “No” is not the answer we wanted, and it may even be difficult for us to swallow.  This is not the time to lack faith or get upset.  Understanding that our God is all-knowing and a loving Father, we should realize that He knows and does what is best for us.  If God is completely and totally in charge of our life, then we can take solace and comfort in the fact that the right things are going to happen at the right time. 
 
Even though we get a negative as an answer, it is really a positive.  God does not capriciously reply to our prayers.  When He says “No,” it is for a reason and a purpose.  His hope is that a good result will come out of it.  We should pray, “Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths” (Psalm 25:4). We need to learn from the way that God is working in our life, so that we may continue to grow in the Godly righteous character He is trying to facilitate in us.
 
When we petition God, it is for His Will to be done in our lives – and now that we can better understand it, all that is left is for us to move on in the direction that God is guiding us in, and not on the route we thought to take.
 
God sees us and hears us (Psalm 34:15, 17), and His arm is not too short that He cannot save us (Isaiah 59:1).  Know this!  Keep it in mind!  In the end, God’s ultimate goal is to see us make it into His Family, and He will do what it takes to make sure that we are with Him in the end.