It is an indisputable fact that our culture is seeping – or has seeped into the church. This includes a general breakdown in respect for authority, and the embracing of individualism, the attitude that says nobody can tell me what to do. The true ministry are there for the express requirement of helping in every way possible the spiritual growth and development of church members – and when that is achieved with the right approach of members and ministry, the effect will be growth within the body of Christ.
Brian Gale (United Kingdom)
Gross National Happiness
The tiny, landlocked nation of Bhutan, sandwiched between Tibet and
India in the Himalayas, has a philosophy that could be taken straight
from the pages of the Bible. In a Buddhist country of around 700,000
people, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck decreed, when he ascended the
throne in 1972, that instead of seeking a gross national product, the
official goal was to enjoy gross national happiness.
A journalist
with the Bhutan Broadcasting Service made the following observation
about the King’s edict: “He basically meant, let my people be happy,
you know. And how do you be happy? Well, if kids go to school, kids
that live healthy, and if the forests are there, you take them out on
walks on the weekends.” And that, he agreed, is the
opposite of a consumer society. Selfishness is exactly what “gross
national happiness” is trying to avoid–the excesses of consumerism
experienced by many nations of the world.
Gross National Product
(GNP) measures only the sum total of material production and exchange
in any country and was never intended to be a measure of actual
well-being. An international conference on Gross National
Happiness, hosted by the Bhutan government in the capital city of
Thimphu in 2004, attracted 82 eminent participants from 20 countries.
This conference showed that basic happiness can be measured since it
pertains to quality of nutrition, housing, education, health care and
community life.
During the last few weeks, the true Church of God
has been keeping God’s autumnal Feast Days as part of the Holy Day
calendar. There will be much happiness when the Feast of Trumpets (kept
on 23rd September this year) becomes reality as Christ returns to the
earth to set up the Kingdom of God. Ten days later (2nd October), the
Church kept the Day of Atonement which heralds the putting away of
Satan for 1,000 years. As our adversary, and the one who has caused so
much suffering during the last 6,000 years is banished, there will be
much rejoicing and happiness at this event. And then, four days later,
the Feast of Tabernacles (7th to 13th October in 2006) was kept for
seven days which represents Christ’s millennial rule on earth, followed
by the Last Great Day (14th October in 2006) which foreshadows a time
during which all who have not previously been given an opportunity to
accept or reject God’s calling will be given their first opportunity
(see our free booklet “God’s Commanded Holy Days”).
These
events will provide the answer to all of the world’s ills. And the
praiseworthy efforts of Bhutan will be completely overshadowed by the
perfect rule of Christ over all the earth. This will bring happiness on
a scale previously unrealized during man’s 6,000 years of misrule. And
Gross National Happiness will be the order of the day!
The Work Ahead in the World Ahead
Utopia cannot be ushered in all at once. There will still be many attitudes that will have to be worked with – and with Christ’s return – that process will commence. And we will have our part in that important process.
This sermon covers, very briefly, seven areas – education, health, economics and finance, law and order, religion, sexual morality and government and politics. Of course there will be a number of other areas where much work will need to be done – such as rebuilding a planet devastated by the worst time of trouble that this planet has ever seen, or ever will see; morality, integrity, honesty, courtesy, compassion etc but the family of God will have much work to do throughout the millennium and during the Great White Throne Judgment.
The First Commandment
The modern, so called gods, will be a thing of the past when Jesus returns. All of the culture of celebrity and worshipping anything and everything other than the Creator that pervades society today will become history. Establishing, developing and maintaining that personal relationship with the true and living God is the most important commitment we, as members of the true Church of God, can ever make. That is the primary focus of the first of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 v 3 which states very clearly and very simply: “You shall have no other gods before Me.”
Several Aspects of Peace
This sermon discusses several different areas about peace. Periods of peace in the history of Israel; the world not knowing the way to peace; peace in the World Tomorrow; the personal peace that we can have at this time and the important concept of peace between brethren now.
Let Us Be Glad
By living according to God’s way, we can avoid so many of the problems experienced by those who ignore it. Our life can be more fulfilling and enjoyable because of our faith – not grinding out this life before we enjoy eternity. Those of us who have been called to understand God’s master plan as revealed through His holy days are of all people most blessed, and the Feast of Tabernacles is a wonderful time to enjoy both now and what the reality holds for us in the future.
The Gulf Between God and Man
Seven areas where the gulf between God and man is inestimable are discussed in this sermon, that of Time, Space, Wealth, Vision, Power, Perfection and Love.
The day celebrating the Feast of Trumpets is an exciting glimpse into the future when those who have been faithful to the very end, will become members of the family of God. There is a massive, unbridgeable gulf between God and man at this time – in every way. We’re human now, but when we are members of God’s family as spirit beings in the future, we will have the same attributes and capabilities that God now has.
Simple Lessons
Recently, my wife and I acquired a new puppy–an eight-week-old
Chihuahua. We already owned a thirteen-year-old miniature Yorkshire
Terrier, but as she was getting quite old, we thought a new arrival
might perk her up. This episode got me thinking about a number of
analogies to the life of a true Christian. Sounds strange, doesn’t it,
but we can learn lessons in everything we do and are involved in.
I
meditated about how reliant dogs are on their new owner; how much they
put their trust in him; how vulnerable they can be, particularly if the
owner doesn’t have their best interests at heart; how they need
training; and also, how they look to their new owners for leadership.
Notice
how these concepts can apply to us, spiritually. On a spiritual plane,
we are to be totally reliant on God. He created us and for those in the
Church, He has called us to His way of life and a wonderful future in
the Kingdom of God if we endure to the end. By putting our trust in
Him, we can have peace of mind, knowing that God has our welfare and
well being at heart. We can be very vulnerable, but only if our
reliance and trust in Him is less than required. The great God does
have our best interests at heart–that is why He has called us into His
Family. Finally, with the leadership that He shows, we know that we are
in safe hands.
We should take very seriously the care that we can
have for our animals. But how much more care is God showing to all of
us who have the potential to be in His Family. To achieve our potential
will be the greatest prize of all!
No Compromise
Scripture admonishes us to hold fast but we can’t hold fast if we compromise. Those who compromise will fall short of what is required and compromising with God’s Law and His way of life will ensure that we will not inherit the promises for the future. Those promises, amongst other places, are spelled out in Revelation 3:12.
Hanging by a Thread
The amount of money owed by consumers in the UK broke through the symbolic £1 trillion barrier for the first time in 2004. The Bank of England said that consumers owe more than £1,000bn on cards, mortgages and loans. According to the National Consumer Council, about six million families are already struggling to keep up with credit commitments at a time when borrowing is rising. Students are now building up huge debts as they work their way through University. Debt is everywhere and continues to grow by the day.
But debt is not confined to the UK. Debt in the world is a massive problem. At a G-8 finance ministers’ meeting in February last year, the world’s richest nations agreed in principle to cancel up to 100 per cent of the debts of the poorest countries in Africa.
And yet, again referring to the UK, retailers have not been doing well and many businesses have been in serious trouble, some going into bankruptcy. Therefore, encouraging spending is usually part of the overall marketing drive throughout the year, but is particularly strong in the run up to Christmas, thus increasing even further personal debt. It is a dichotomy. Retailers need sales but customers are up to their neck in debt.
As one expert stated: “The British economic recovery–heralded by Gordon Brown–is hanging by a thread. It rests on the fragile foundations of a consumer boom in Britain, and far more importantly, in the United States. Moreover the US economic bubble is keeping the world afloat at the present time. This is a fact recognised by all the economic pundits.” A very simple piece of Biblical advice is generally ignored by mankind–and to their hurt: “The borrower is servant to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7). Some debt may be necessary to buy a house or a car, but debt has become such an integral part of almost everyone’s life today that it has spiralled out of control.
Personal situations, and the economy in general, are hanging by a thread. The global economy is so inter-dependent that it could fall like a house of cards. Massive spending fuels personal debt; not spending means that businesses will go out of business. The economy is so fragile that it could fail at any time. Let us make sure that our own house is in order.
