The world talks about freedom, yet it is totally enslaved and under the influence of the god of this world who also, in his portfolio, manages to deceive the whole world.

Revelation 12:9 tells us: “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world…”

When you think about it, that’s quite an “accomplishment.” You may have heard the saying,” “You can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but not all of the people all of the time.” So deceiving the whole world is really quite a “remarkable achievement.” Christ even warned His elect to “Take heed that no one deceives you” (Matthew 24:4).  So the admonition is to be on our toes and not take for granted that we will not or cannot  be deceived.

True freedom is to come through the knowledge of the Truth, which is not something that one just trips over, but  this freedom has been calculated and planned by God before the world was. Just to ponder that fact is really exciting. God is not about to give up on His “investment” in us. He gives us that true freedom through His Word, which adds real meaning to the phrase, “The truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).  God’s Word is the Truth. We not only have that Word in print, but as His obedient children, we study and apply that Word. And through being faithful to that Word, we have true freedom which the world does not and cannot have.

The nice part about the knowledge of the Truth is that the current enslavement of the world will pass away, when Christ returns in power and glory to give to His saints eternal life and His reward of rulership. Then oppression and slavery under Satan and his demons will end, and the world will taste true freedom for the first time.

Let’s never underestimate our impact on the world. We have and embrace true freedom, and we are commissioned to proclaim the message of the coming Kingdom of God and true freedom in all the world as a witness, so that the world can learn about true freedom, which they will experience in the future. 

Then they will all cry out: “Freedom” and “Free at last.”

In 1918 a German-born Jew by the name of Fritz Haber won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing the Haber-Bosch process. His process of synthesizing ammonia from natural deposits was a milestone in industrial chemistry. His techniques were used to mass produce fertilizers–without which the diet of today’s humanity would not be possible. In the 1920’s researchers at Haber’s institute developed a cyanide gas formulation, Zyklon A, an insecticide used to keep grain stores safe from pests.

Haber’s own research into and involvement in deploying chemicals during WWI coined him as the “father of chemical warfare.” During WWII his research of Zyklon A was refined by the Nazis into Zyklon B and was used in their gas chambers to exterminate Jews.

Solomon said, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 16:25). 

Haber contributed greatly towards the benefit of mankind. “The annual world production of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer is currently more than 100 million tons. The food base of half of the current world population is based on the Haber-Bosch process.” (Wikipedia). The reason Haber’s process was needed in the first place was because of mankind’s rejection of God’s Laws.  Haber sought a way to nourish land that could not sustain continuous farming. God, several millennia previously, set up simple practices that would achieve the same results: “Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its produce, but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave, the beasts of the field may eat. In like manner you shall do with your vineyard and your olive grove” (Exodus 23:10-11).

What seems sensible, cutting-edge or even forward thinking, has proven throughout human history to usually be focused away from God’s simple plan for mankind.  Men tried to reach out to God in their own way by building a tower into the sky, but failed to understand God. Today we glimpse millions of years into our past—to the far reaches of space–searching for a better understanding of our universe. But no matter how far we look, man still has little understanding of the magnificent Being whose mere word caused us to exist, “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth” (Psalm 33:6).

Calling us lights in a world filled with darkness is not hyperbole! Mankind has truly failed to come to an understanding of God, blinded by their own disobedience. The precious opportunity we have been granted must be used! We cannot rely on our own wisdom, our own shortcuts—as mankind has done—to understand God. What was true in Solomon’s time is true today—man’s way leads to death. Let us all watch and pray that the way we are heading leads to life!

This is it. The final year of the Mayan calendar has begun. Predictions abound that the end of the world is imminent – this year. However, most of those predictions rely on speculative theories, superstition and misapplication of science. We should all know better than to be influenced by such nonsense. The fact remains, as stated in Matthew 24:36 “… of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” Human predictions, no matter how thoroughly researched, will fail.

What we do seem to know is that many of us will be able to see the end of these days coming if we watch closely for the events of prophecy to unfold. And certainly, based on the current events of the times, prophecy is unfolding before our eyes.  Yet even with the ability to see and understand how prophecy will be fulfilled, this knowledge only lets us know that the Kingdom of God is near (compare Luke 22:31). Dates and times of events will remain a secret kept by God the Father alone.

Does it make you uneasy to know that dates and times of the end of this age are hidden to us? Does it make you uncomfortable to know that you may be caught off guard by the return of Christ? Is it disconcerting to you that you cannot answer the question, “How much time is left?”

If the answer is “Yes” to any of the questions above, we need to take some time to meditate on whether we have our priorities in order. The time we have left may be short, but we are not to value this physical  life we live more than the eternal life waiting for us (John 12:25). If we want to know how much time we have left before Jesus Christ returns to establish the Kingdom of God, we need to ask ourselves why we want to know dates and times in the first place. Are there things we want to experience in this life before that time comes? Do we need this information so we know how much time we have to prepare ourselves? A deadline certainly helps plan, right? Make no mistake, we need to prepare spiritually so that we are fully converted, but this preparation should begin at the moment we commit our lives to God. Once we make that commitment, our hearts should be faithful to drop everything and follow the path of righteousness in front of us. And that is what it takes to be prepared for the coming of God’s Kingdom.

Every day we have the opportunity to practice how to handle the coming of the end of this age. Every day, we make choices between following the paths of Godly righteousness, or something less. When the day of the Lord is upon us, we will be faced with the very same kind of decisions. Choose right, or not. Choosing what is right and good is all we can ever do, both now and in the future. If we consistently choose what is right and are faithful to do it in the future we should be ready at any time, making the amount of time between now and the return of Christ irrelevant.

Do you turn to faith as your last resort—only when you are desperate and without any other resource at hand?

Is this when you begin to think about God?

You know, it is really odd, but faith is so often referred to as something someone has when everything else has been stripped away. But is that really what biblical faith is about?

Jesus Christ expressed stern disapproval of His disciples for their lack of faith on more than one occasion (compare Matthew 6:30; 8:26; 16:8). A poignant example is that of Peter, who, when bid by Jesus to come to Him on the turbulent sea, for a time was able to do so but was quickly overcome with fear. Jesus rebuked him, saying, “‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’” (Matthew 14:31).

Peter did not then have enough faith, and even the little that he did possess failed. Yet, as the Church of God began to flourish following its establishment on the Day of Pentecost, Peter—as well as the other disciples—boldly stepped forward as the ministers of Jesus Christ in the face of imprisonment, beatings and relentless persecution. They grew in faith!

During this time, seven men were chosen to serve as deacons. One of those individuals was Stephen, “a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5). What follows is the account of Stephen’s testimony against false accusers and his martyrdom!

Stephen trusted God completely—even to the point of surrendering his own life! This is the same kind of faith we read about in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, and it is certainly the unwavering faith exemplified by Jesus Christ. 

We are told that it is impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6)! The record of the Bible—from Genesis to Revelation—resonates with the examples of godly men and women who did please God, and they did so through great faith!

If we are to have seeing eyes and hearing ears, then now is the time for us to be strengthening our faith. And if we truly understand, then we know that the faith that we are to have is not even our own but that of Jesus Christ!

When our trials come—as they do—will we be full of faith, or are we going to have to rely on the little faith—the faith of last resort?

As Brian Gale mentioned in the last Editorial, many have made “new-year’s-resolutions.” They imagined what they might be able to achieve and what will be in store for them, and even those comparatively few who focused on what they might be able to do for others, might have wondered what they would get in return. Of course, in most cases, their resolutions are short-lived and soon forgotten, except for their desire of being successful, healthy, wealthy and recognized.
 
In our Christian walk of life, we should have overcome those idle pursuits, but have we? We should have reached the understanding that our reward will come from God–not man–but have we? It is sometimes easy to forget where our priorities must lie.
 
Baruch, the scribe of Jeremiah, had to be reminded of his purpose. He suffered much, and expected something big in return. But when his expectations were not met and instead his sufferings increased, he felt self-pity. Notice God’s admonition to Baruch: “You said, ‘Woe is me now! For the LORD has added grief to my sorrow. I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest’… Behold, what I have built I will break down, and what I have planted I will pluck up, that is, this whole land. And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh… I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go.” (Jeremiah 45:3-5).
 
We are to be content with what God gives us, without expecting a great reward in this life. When we live the Christian way of life, our reward WILL be great—but it will be reserved and kept for us in heaven (Matthew 5:12), until Jesus Christ returns; and it is then that He will reward us according to our work (Revelation 22:12). In the meantime, we are to do our Christian duties “in secret,” until the Father who sees in secret will reward us openly—in His due time (Matthew 6:4, 6, 18).
 
To do only good to those who do good to us, or with the expectation of being rewarded by them, is really selfish conduct. That is why Christ tells us: “And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for [or expecting] nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High…” (Luke 6:33-35).
 
That is the Christian way, but it’s not always easy. It does not make any sense to the unconverted human mind. The carnal reaction is: “If he is not doing me any favors, I will not do anything for him either. If he is not thankful for what I do for him, then I won’t help him again, even if he needs help. That will teach him…”
 
However, we read that God is kind and merciful even to those who are “unthankful and evil” (Luke 6:35-36).
 
Have you ever wondered why God tells us not to covet or to be envious of others (Luke 12:15; Ephesians 5:3; Galatians 5:26)? The answer is, envy destroys us. It is rottenness of the bones (Proverbs 14:30). It is also totally contrary to the love of God (1 Corinthians 13:4). God’s love is the way of giving. Covetousness and envy are the exact opposite. They want to get. And when they do not obtain what they seek or expect, then the ensuing disappointment will lead to wrong conduct.
 
Envy motivates us to think and do terrible things to others. Joseph’s brothers sold him because of envy (Acts 7:9). The chief priests and elders opposed Christ and plotted against Him to put Him to death because of envy (Matthew 27:1, 18; Mark 15:10). It is no surprise that James tells us: “For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing will be there” (James 3:16).
 
We can become envious when we see others obtain favors which we desire for ourselves or for those close to us. Rather than rejoicing when someone else is praised or helped, we may feel ignored, excluded or passed over. We become envious because we expect great things for ourselves—and we expect them from other people. We forget God and His purpose for us. We forget that we must keep a good attitude, no matter what we may experience, because we live for and serve Christ, expecting our reward from Him in His due time (Colossians 3:23-24). That constant and unwavering realization necessitates that God’s mind dwells mightily in us through His Holy Spirit.
 
When we realize that feelings and attitudes of self-pity, disappointment, self-seeking, covetousness, envy and even anger sneak into our lives, it is high time to take stock. Chances are, we have allowed ourselves to drift away from God, and we are not as close to Him as we ought to be. Then, it is extremely important to get on our knees and to pray to Him for repentance and forgiveness and the renewal of our minds (Ephesians 4:23) through the power of His Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). God has promised that He will honor and answer such a genuine and heartfelt prayer (Luke 11:13)–and “that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).
 
Remember, “the earnest expectation” of the entire creation eagerly waits for the moment, when the sons of God will be revealed in glory (Romans 8:19). God’s gift to us will be so much greater than anything that any man could possibly bestow on us. Man might disappoint us, but God never will. That should be the quintessence of our right expectations.

I recall Mr Herbert Armstrong saying that ingratitude was one of the worst sins we could commit. It is certainly a major failing in anyone purporting to be a Christian.

This is the time of the year in the Gregorian calendar when many may be contemplating making some New Year’s resolutions. Perhaps some may think about appreciating their family, friends and standard of living more than they have in the past. However, those who have been called to God’s way of life shouldn’t need one of the world’s festivals to remind them about something that should be an ingrained Christian habit.

When we hear about and maybe receive letters from brethren in other countries who don’t enjoy all of the amenities, the standard of living, the freedom that we have and many other things that we may take for granted, does this jolt our conscience and, perhaps, only temporarily, stir us to action?

When we read about ancient Israel, we may find it difficult to understand how ungrateful they were at times, particularly after seeing many heart-stopping miracles and manifestations of God’s great power on their behalf. And yet, if we had to go days without food as happened to them on occasion, wouldn’t most of us be just as complaining?

Ingratitude must be something that we have left behind, or are strenuously working at leaving it behind. Are we grateful for our calling, first and foremost, and for the teaching we are constantly given for the way of life that sets us apart from the world? We should give God thanks for the food we have in such abundance, and the protection and help that HE gives us, but does it stop there?

This editorial is part of the weekly Update which takes many hours to compile, and quite a number of people to put together and publish. Do we take this for granted? Do we take the new booklets and the monthly letters for granted?

And do we just sit and listen to sermons and sermonettes without thanking those who give them and for their help, instruction, guidance and teaching that they have presented and who may have spent many hours of time in researching and preparing those messages? It can be easy just to sit in a congregation, listening to these messages and, after services, not even think of giving thanks to those who may have put in so much effort. An e-mail, letter or phone call thanking someone for what they have done can be so encouraging.

Let us ALL be more grateful for all the good gifts that God gives us and never take anything for granted. And when we succeed, we may then not be found guilty of the sin of ingratitude, which is so prevalent in our societies today.

We have no doubt heard it loftily said that “…you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” We are accustomed to believing that we are free – and we are in many ways unconstrained to do what we want, but does this make us really free?

We are free to make choices, but not all choices make us free. There is one Way that does, and many others that do not. Of course it is God’s Way that truly frees us, and Satan’s that truly enslaves us.

When we follow the path that the devil has enticingly put before us, it seems pleasant for a time – this is how he sells the lies that he is pawning. In the end, whether we know it or not, there are dire consequences for choosing these falsehoods. They lead to sorrow, pain, damage, destruction and ultimately in all cases to death. His ultimate goal is to thwart the plan of God any way that he can, and he will stop at nothing to frame his lies as truth.

It is God’s truth and only His Way that can free us from the penalties of sin that we can become bound by in both the short and long term. This is how we are truly made free! We have the opportunity to reap the benefits of this now, as well as qualify to be a part of the Kingdom and the Family of God later.

If we weigh our actions against the commands of the Bible and choose wisely, not only will we be free from sin, but we will be free to enjoy the fruits and blessings that come with doing what is right. Then we can truly stand in the liberty by which Christ can and does make us free (Galatians 5:1).

God’s plan is basic and simple. It does not have difficult complexity to it. God is, and always has been a Family, and His plan is to enlarge His Family through man. To accomplish this, man was created physically with the opportunity to become spirit. Blood is the common element in the human family—it maintains us physically. God’s Spirit sustains us spiritually, with the prospect of eventually inheriting eternal life as a God being and member of the God Family.
 
God’s plan is based on love and maintains ten simple rules, as it were, outlining how to establish a proper relationship with God and our fellow man. These fundamental rules are known today as God’s Ten Commandments. The first four commandments show us how to love God, and the last six commandments teach us how to love our neighbor.
 
Satan invented what he determined to be a better plan. His plan is not based on man’s love for and obedience to the ten rules of a godly relationship with God and man, but it is based on the contrary and destructive principles of get, selfishness and greed. In God’s plan, man was to maintain and embellish the earth. Satan, not willing to obey God, influenced Eve to sin by disobeying God’s instructions, and Adam followed her bad example.
 
Satan has become the god of this world. He has deceived the whole world. His plan is in full-fledged mode today, and what do we see? We see wars, destruction of the environment, murder and mayhem.
 
God wants the earth to be a paradise for man. Satan wants to use the scorched earth approach in an attempt to destroy mankind, and all human flesh. He also wants those of us who are being called now to fail in our calling. He wants us to become disqualified, preventing us from becoming God beings. He also wants to thwart our efforts of proclaiming this gospel or good news of the Kingdom or Family of God. He wants to prevent the gospel from reaching mankind. He does not want anyone to repent, but that all would remain his captives.
 
Which is the better plan? The one, which entails peace and harmony between man and God, and which provides the means for man to eventually become God–or the one, which would lead to the destruction of all flesh and the pollution of our entire earth?
 
The answer is self-evident, and that is part of the reason why it is so important for us to remain focused on and to proclaim the good plan of God, and to go faithfully through doors which God may open for us in this endeavor.

“Never before, in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so MANY to so FEW.”  These words were spoken by the late Sir Winston Churchill, who served Great Britain as prime minister during World War II. He said this in tribute to the pilots and air crew who gave and even lost their lives during the battle for the defence of the British Isles. These men and some woman were the “FEW.”

With “THE MANY,” Churchill referred to the main populace of the British Isles, and the generations that would follow, who were allowed to enjoy their inherited physical blessings and freedoms a little while longer.

Winston Churchill also spoke of  “THE FIELD OF HUMAN CONFLICT.” What did he mean by that? He was a noted and respected historian. He is author of the major work, “History Of The English Speaking Peoples” – written in four volumes. He was very familiar with the many HUMAN CONFLICTS and wars that involved the birthright peoples of the British Isles.

It may be interesting to apply his words to our Christian warfare. Many times in God’s Word, parables and analogies are used to help us understand something important. And so, Jesus referred to His people as “the little flock.”  That is how it has been down through the eras of Church history. Compared to the main populace of this world who have not yet been called, we are the “FEW.”

As Christians, we are required to do battle in the field of conflict. We refuse to fight against human beings, and we do not fight with tanks, guns and planes, but we are to put on the spiritual armour of God, including His mighty power, to fight against evil spirits in high places. 2 Corinthians 10:4 tells us: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for the pulling down of strongholds.” Our “field of human conflict” is spiritual. The battles are very real and very difficult. Victory requires the protection and power of God, enabling the “FEW” to be winners! 

In God’s great and wonderful plan of salvation, only few are called in this day and age. The “MANY” have not yet been called. They will be given their first opportunity to obtain salvation during the Millennium and the Great White Throne Judgment period. Jesus Christ is the forerunner and perfect example, but He will be assisted by the “few”—the pioneers—who were called in this life and who overcame and qualified for the Kingdom of God. As pilgrims, strangers and foreigners, they had to come out of this world of hate and war and misunderstood “peace” and “freedom.” They had to become living sacrifices, to prepare for the wonderful world tomorrow. Some even lost their lives quite literally in the process. In the future, the “MANY” will realize how much they “OWE” to the FEW—and especially Jesus Christ, the Captain of their salvation. Such indebtedness will “never before” have been so great! 

Even though Winston Churchill spoke merely about physical warfare, with the goal of protecting human life and temporary physical freedom, his words, if rightly applied, can give us great encouragement and motivation to continue in our spiritual battle for eternal life and true and enduring freedom.

As the United States prepares for another presidential campaign in the coming year, hopeful candidates begin to present their plans and ideas for how they can get the country back on track. Whether it has to do with reducing public debt, solving the problem of health care, or creating jobs, the candidates present their answers with an abundance of confidence and hubris. Taken at face value, all of the candidates would appear to solve the country’s troubles, if only elected into the presidential office.
 
It may be a pessimistic prediction, but we can be reasonably sure that whoever will be elected president of the United States next year will not bring about any lasting solutions, and in all likelihood, will cause a further decline in international favor. With prophecy in the equation, the pessimistic prediction becomes a realistic certainty. The Bible makes it clear that man’s answers to his own problems, when God is not in the picture, are doomed to ultimate failure.
 
The only way to escape imminent destruction is through repentance and returning to God. Recall the story of Nineveh, when the city repented in a comprehensive manner, directed from the leadership (compare Jonah 3:5-8). At that time, the disobedience of the people in that city aroused the anger in God, who threatened to destroy it.  However, after hearing about the prophesied destruction that would come upon them, the inhabitants took it to heart and changed. As a result, God too changed His mind. Jonah 3:10 reads, “Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.”
 
Can you imagine any secular politician campaigning on a platform of returning to the one true God and His laws? Can you imagine a candidate presenting the simple act of repentance of our sins as the solution to the country’s problems? To say the least, it is far-fetched to even conceive of that happening. And even those who may occasionally speak of God and the Bible and our “Judeo-Christian heritage” do not represent the true God, nor do they even understand, let alone embrace and live, the timeless laws of the Ten Commandments, statutes and judgments. Instead, as man’s history repeats itself, God’s ways will continue to be rejected in favor of his own solutions (compare Mark 7:9). Yet, repentance is what must happen to turn the direction of our countries and the world around.
 
Sadly, such a turn in direction will not happen with the re-election of the current president of the United States, nor the election of a different one. However, we do know, through the prophecy of the Word of God, that a righteous kingdom will be established on earth. At that time, the hearts of the people living on earth will turn, as they did in Nineveh (compare Malachi 4:6). While we can be sure that the current or a new president of the United States will not take that path, we look forward to the time when God’s kingdom will be established. At that time, Isaiah 9:7 will become a reality:  “Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” May that time come quickly.