The Biblical Tale of Two Cities

The original book, “The Tale of Two Cities,” was published in 1859 by English author Charles Dickens; it was set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. In this Editorial, I want to look at the people of the ancient cities of Nineveh and Sodom. Both these cities had issues with sin.

In Jonah 1:2, we read God’s words to Jonah: “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” Nineveh had issues with wickedness which is not really defined by God as to the exact problem it had.

This is what is said about Sodom, in Genesis 18:20-21: “And the LORD said, ‘Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.” God states that their sin is great, without going into any detail.

It’s interesting to notice that He, together with two angels, wanted to go in person to see how bad it was. You have probably heard that it is sometimes hard to describe a situation and, “You had to be there to see how bad it was”—to be there in person to get the full impact or feel how bad a situation was. God, in the Person of Jesus Christ, would stay with Abraham but would send His two angels to Sodom to evaluate the people there.

Sodom was really bad, as described in 19:4-5: “Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot and said to him, ‘Where are the men [the two angels] who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.’”

They wanted to abuse the two guests sexually, thinking they were ordinary men, and both young and old were in the mix. It is evident that the whole town was perverted and twisted sexually.

Both these cities had major issues but the outcome of them was totally different.

After trying to avoid his commission, Jonah finally went as instructed by God and warned Nineveh of destruction.  In Jonah 3:2-4, we read that God told Jonah again: ‘‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.’ So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent.  And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, ‘Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!’” 

So Jonah sounded the alarm or trumpet as it were of coming destruction; and what was the response from the city?

Jonah 3:6-10 tells us: “Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes.  And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, ‘Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. 

But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?’  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.”

The result was repentance of the city and thus God changed His mind about destroying it. Please note however that the city of Nineveh was destroyed later by falling back to their old ways.

What about Sodom? Genesis 19:15-17 reads: “When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, ‘Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.’ And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, ‘Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.’”

Continuing in Genesis 19:24-25: “Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.”

So Sodom was totally destroyed. Lot had apparently been a judge in Sodom, “sitting in the gate” (Genesis 19:1); he had warned the people of Sodom repeatedly (compare Genesis 19:7-9; 2 Peter 2:7), but they did not listen. When the city was evaluated by the two angels, being there in person, it was determined that redemption at that point was far from attainable, leading to its destruction. This is not to say that the people of Sodom, as well as of Nineveh, won’t have a future opportunity to repent after their resurrection to physical life, and then be given an opportunity for salvation.

We all sin from time to time. When we realize our error, we repent and ask for forgiveness, knowing God will forgive us our sins with the understanding that we are to make efforts to overcome sin, not to succumb to it.

On the other hand, if we harden our hearts by sinning and do not repent, we could find ourselves in the situation of Sodom, beyond repair and redemption. But while the unconverted people of Sodom will have a chance in the future, for us, as converted Christians who fall away for good, there is only one final fate, which is the lake of fire from which there is no comeback (compare Hebrews 10:26-27).

As we go forward in our Christian walk, we will sin on occasion, but the final outcome of sin is really up to us; so, let’s make the right choices. 

How can we strengthen our relationship with God?

A relationship with God is important for us who have been chosen by God in this age to be involved in the preaching of the gospel to the world as a witness, prior to the return of Jesus Christ, as we read in Mathew 24:14: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” We are also admonished to grow in Christ’s grace and His knowledge which helps us get close to God the Father. 2 Peter 3:18 says: “… grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.”

The key element for developing a close relationship with God is ODEDIENCE, which almost seems like a dirty word to some people.

How important is obedience?  Acts 5:32 quotes the words of Peter in this way: “And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom [better: which] God has given to those who obey Him.”

Failure to obey can prevent one from even being properly baptized and receiving the Holy Spirit. And if they received it, they could lose it again if they consistently resist repenting and obeying God. We must constantly use the Holy Spirit by using the tools God has given us, which are prayer, Bible study, meditation and occasional fasting. Otherwise, we might dim or quench the Holy Spirit. We can even witness this by observing how fast biblical knowledge leaves a person when they leave the Church and/or neglect to use the tools provided for us by God. If or when in their presence, you sense that something is wrong.

To keep a fire burning, it needs constant fuel. Once the fuel is stopped, the fire diminishes in heat and size and eventually, it is reduced to glowing coals. If more wood is thrown on the coals, the fire will reignite and burn bright again. If the coals are left without fuel or wood, they diminish in size, but are still able to reignite, but once it gets down to one spark and keeps fading away, there is nothing you can do to revive the fire.

2 Peter 2:19-26 warns us in this regard:

“While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: ‘A DOG RETURNS TO HIS OWN VOMIT,’ and, ‘a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.’” 

Refusing to obey has the consequence of possibly losing the Holy Spirit which puts one in the unpardonable sin category.

Hebrews 10:26 says: “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins…”

There is no coming back from this state. It’s the state that Satan is in. He cannot repent because he will not repent. His mind is so corrupted because of sin that it is impossible for him to repent and thus, he now hates God, the ONE he once loved and obeyed.

It is a sad state of affairs one can find oneself in by refusing to obey, so obeying is a key factor in our relationship with God. In this context, prayer is also important. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 admonishes us to “pray without ceasing.” In other words, do not ever give up on prayer; because when we pray, we communicate with our Creator.

Philippians 4:6 says: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

By supplication and prayer, we put our requests before God. We have many examples of Christ praying to God the Father, and we know He was definitely close to God; and God was pleased with Christ’s conduct and ways, as we read in Luke 3:22: “And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, ‘You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.’” In addition, we read in Matthew 17:5: “While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!’”

The admonition on how to pray is also provided in Scripture. Christ instructs us in Mathew 6:9-13: “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

These are the things we ought to pray about, and the key admonition is to pray “IN THIS MANNER,” as it is an outline which should guide us when we pray.

When we pray, we show obedience. Obedience demonstrates our love for God, and that God’s love is in us. 1 John 5::2-3 says: “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”

The commandments are not nor should they be a burden but rather a blessing when we keep them.

How is the love of God demonstrated? By keeping the Ten Commandments. While the last six commandments demonstrate our love towards our fellow man, the first four commandments show us how to love God. Let us now, in the context of this Q&A, concentrate on the first four commandments.

Exodus 20:2-3 quotes God as saying: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.”

It’s important that we put God in first place in our lives and not replace Him with other gods or idols or worthless objects or things. God is the Eternal God, the Creator of all things through His Son Jesus Christ, as Colossians 1:13-16 tells us: “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.”

We are to worship the Father. Be cognizant that God the Father is also the God of Christ, as Christ confirmed in John 20:17: “Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, “I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.”’” But we are to pray to the Father in the name and with the authority of Jesus Christ, our Mediator.

Exodus 20:4-6 continues: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”

We are not to bow down to any idols, be they statues in a church building, statues of Budha or symbols of fish or land animals. People can also make idols of people like rock stars, politicians, actors, husbands or wives, jobs and positions or anything that takes our eyes and attention off the One true God.

Exodus 20:7 says: “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.”

Taking God’s name in vain includes vain repetitions like using beads or rosaries or euphemisms, like “gee” or “gosh.” It also includes cursing as you hear so much in movies and work sites today.

Exodus 20:8-11 continues: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.”

God says to remember, and most people forget. The Sabbath is part of the re-creation week. It was created by God for man to rest. By extension, this also includes the annual Sabbaths outlined in Leviticus 23:1-7 and Deuteronomy 16:1-17. These Festivals outline the plan of God from repentance to redemption, showing that eventually every human being ever born will be offered the opportunity to become a member of the Family of God.

The weekly Sabbath is blessed and hallowed by the fact that God puts His presence in the day— but not in any other day, be it Sunday, Friday or any other weekday. Matthew 12:8 quotes Christ as saying: “For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” As Creator of the Sabbath, He is also Lord of the Sabbath and has the authority to instruct us how to keep it.

Further, Exodus 31:13-17 says: “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.'” 

The Sabbath—the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days—are a sign between us and God. They point to the One and true God of Creation—the most high God. They are a perpetual covenant between God and His people, members of God’s Church called in this age.

Bible study is the reading and study of the Bible which holds truths about the creation of the universe and man—including a history of the patriarchs, of the nation of Israel from its slavery in Egypt to becoming a nation and down through the prophets to the time of Christ. It includes the record of the life and history of Christ up to His crucifixion and resurrection, as well as the history of the Church established on Pentecost; the life of Paul; the books of the followers and brothers of Christ up to the book of Revelation, giving us a history of the seven churches down through the ages and prophetic events leading up to the return of Christ. It is crucial to study biblical history, the Psalms and admonitions of the authors of the many books of the Bible. In this context, what is the admonition to us? 1 Peter 3:15 says: “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear…”

In order to give a defense of the hope that lies within us, we have to have knowledge and understanding of the Bible, which we attain through studying it.

Meditation is also important, which means thinking about and analyzing what we have read in the Bible. So the more we meditate on God’s Word, the more it will stay in our mind and it is thus easier to recall when required by someone who asks about our beliefs.

Fasting is the one way of developing a strong relationship with God that not everyone is eager to do. This tool was used by Christ for forty days and forty nights prior to the start of His ministry (Matthew 4:1-2), so the example is to use it prior to major decisions or challenges in our lives. Combined with prayer, Bible study and mediation, it is a powerful tool in our arsenal for drawing closer to God.

Our ultimate goal is to qualify to enter the Kingdom of God as His sons and daughters and inherit life that never ends—a life of productivity, joy and fulfillment. Drawing close to God and developing a strong relationship with Him is an important aspect of attaining that goal, since all of us want to hear this praise from our Savior Jesus Christ at His return: “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord’” (Matthew 25:23). 

Lead Writer: Rene Messier

In His Footsteps

This sermon looks at the life of Christ, His purpose, His response to situations He went through, His early life, His ministry, His relationship with God and the example He set for us to  follow.

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Appreciation

This sermon looks at several aspects of our lives and relationships to encourage us to appreciate our calling and our relationship with one another and with God.

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Commitment

Sometimes tests and trials come early when God is calling us into His Church, and we at times have to make tough decisions which affect us and our families.  One such test is the keeping of the Sabbath, regardless of the consequences. When I was called into the Truth, I had a government job with security, pension, and benefits. Upon learning of the Sabbath, that we must not just keep it but also not work for a living on that day, I had to make a decision since my job conflicted with the Sabbath

I remember it well: I had been reading the Worldwide Church of God booklet, “United States and the British Commonwealth in Prophecy,” and it was not until the second time I read it that it dawned on me that I had to quit my job in order to obey God.

I was working on the second floor of the Prison Hospital, walking back and forth thinking about this, and I made up my mind then and there that I would have to resign and also refuse to work on Saturday which was coming up in a few days.

I was working a dayshift at the time, and it was not more than five seconds after deciding to quit, when the officer in charge came up the stairs and asked me if I could work a double shift because the man scheduled to work had called in sick.  I immediately replied, “Yes, If I can have Saturday off,” which he immediately agreed to.  There was no conflict with the Sabbath in my schedule for a while, and I took the opportunity to resign before the Sabbath issue came up again.

Upon returning home that evening, I told my wife about my decision, and she asked what we were going to do and I said, we would have to trust in God.

I recall on my last day at work that a fellow officer asked me if I was resigning because of my beliefs, and when I told him that I was, he replied that I was making a big mistake. This was in the early part of June, and it was an interesting summer that year.

I worked at several jobs. I was helping a Moving Company to move furniture and goods, I helped a bricklayer for a while, and I worked at a Plywood Plant where I got fired after telling the foreman on the afternoon shift that I could not work on a Friday after sunset, and I went home before the Sabbath. I then worked for the Teamster Union, loading and unloading boxcars.

One day in August in 1969, not having any work that day, I was helping my dad at his place, and after I was finished, I was moved to go to apply for a job at BC Hydro in Vancouver. I filled out an application, and as I was about to walk out, the receptionist said to my surprise that the Personnel Manager wanted to see me.

The interview went very well. He had a lot of questions about my job as a Prison Guard and he said he would let me know because they needed workers to work in the Fraser Valley, close to where I lived at the time.

On Friday, September 12, after not hearing anything from the Manager, I decided to call him. He said to me, “I am glad you called, I have been wanting to call you, you can start in the Fraser Valley on Monday, the 15th.” This was a good and secure government company to work for, better than the previous one I had.

Does God bless our commitments to obey Him, regardless of circumstances?

Within four years, I had become the highest paid employee in the Union and was being paid extra as a first aid attendant.

This all came about due to the commitment to obey God who in the end provided me with a better and well-paid job, benefits, and time off for keeping the Sabbath and Holy Days.

I worked there for thirty-eight years until the Summer of 2007 when I retired.

God fulfilled His promise to bless us when we make the choice to serve Him, regardless of the cost. I trust my experience should be encouraging and motivating to anyone facing similar trials, to put our complete trust in God.

Seek

This sermon looks at biblical examples of the practical use of the word SEEK.  Some examples show immediate positive outcomes, some long-term positive outcomes, while others do not reflect such immediate or long-term positive outcomes.

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Stop Lying!

Watching the recent presidential debate in the USA was a bit of an eye-opener, with two elderly men throwing insults at each other and accusing each other of lying.  A fact check of either one would show that they both lied many times during the debate, following the example of their leader— Satan, the current ruler of this age whom Christ called a liar and murderer from the beginning.

We read Christ’s words in John 8:44: “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”

Satan lied to Eve and deceived her into taking the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which was in direct disobedience to what God had told her and which led to the death of both her and her husband Adam who followed her lead.

So, the devil not only lied to her but was also guilty of murder. He is a totally corrupt, evil and irredeemable being, awaiting judgement in the future. He is currently the god of this world who sinned and rebelled against his Creator—the one and true God.

That is the problem with many politicians and leaders in this age. Influenced by Satan in one way or another, they lie about everything, thinking there is no recourse or future punishment. Politicians lie and are backed up by a corrupt lying media to push their agenda on the people.

Thankfully, this situation will end when this evil system will be changed and be replaced by a just system of government. This will be accomplished when Christ returns to rule the earth with His saints– the glorified children of God who will not be, nor can be, corrupted by man or Satan.

It behoves us in this day and age to tell the Truth at all times and live with the consequences. Once a person starts lying and refuses to correct his lies and to change by telling the Truth, he cannot be trusted.

As God’s people, we must be looked upon as trustworthy and as those who tell the Truth–always.

The Show Must Go On

Regardless of any setback, either individually or regarding  the church, we have to set our minds towards completing the task of finishing the work and continuing to grow in grace and knowledge.

This sermon looks at the tools provided by God to achieve that.

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Keeping Sin Out

The sermon discusses how to Internalize the nine characterizations of the fruit of the spirit to keep sin out to facilitate being counted worthy of keeping the Passover.

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Seek First the Kingdom

Christ’s admonition to seek the kingdom of God is found in Matthew 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

In the dialogue leading up to this verse are a lot of examples as to what people focus their lives on.  In verses 19-32, Christ focuses on the verse which sums it all up, verse 33, as quoted above.

The analysis deals with where your treasure is; not to serve two masters; and not to worry about the physical things of this life, because if you have your priorities straight, God will supply your physical needs.

If we are to seek first the kingdom, we have to have a clear picture in our mind as to what the kingdom of God is. Even though the definition is broad, it can be narrowed down, in part, to the understanding that God is a Family, consisting of the Father and His Son Jesus Christ who work in harmony to achieve what God wants, while Christ is subject to God the Father, the Most High God.

It also includes our potential to become full-fledged sons and daughters of God; and that God will establish the Government of God on this earth at the return of Jesus Christ; and the world structure will eventually be changed by the implementation of the laws of God, summarized by the Ten Commandments which show us that we demonstrate our love for God by keeping the first four commandments and our love for fellow man by keeping the last six commandments.

Then there are many statutes and judgments which explain the Ten Commandments further and show how to apply them specifically. The sooner mankind keeps these eternal laws, the sooner they can reap the benefits and blessings attached to keeping them.

The kingdom of God involves other aspects as well, but for the context of this editorial, it is being narrowed down to a few.

“Seeking” the kingdom involves doing some analysis and getting our priorities straight and not getting sidetracked by the things of this world like food, clothing and physical aspects which God will provide if we stay the course; and if we remain focused on the admonition to seek the kingdom first in our lives, the rest will follow.

The other aspect of this verse is to seek “His righteousness.” Since the Father and Christ—the Kingdom of God—are one in approach and righteousness, we have the example of Christ that we should follow. Christ’s life was pleasing to God since on more than one occasion, it was stated that Christ was the Father’s beloved Son in whom He was well pleased (compare, for example, Matthew 3:17; 12:18; 17:5; Mark 1:11; 9:7; Luke 3:22).

Let us look at the admonition in Proverbs 3:1: “My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands.”

So, seeking God’s righteousness involves obeying and keeping His commandments which in this day and age are rejected by man, and yet, they are not that complicated.

The definition of seeking includes, “to attempt to find (something).” For instance, note this example: “They came here to seek shelter from biting winter winds.”

“Seeking” can also mean, “to attempt or desire to obtain or achieve (something).” Examples could be: “The new regime sought his extradition,” or, “Her parents had never sought to interfere with her freedom.”

In addition, “seeking” can be defined as “asking for (something) from someone.” Here is one example: “He sought help from the police.”

Finally, “seeking” can be understood as “seeking someone/something out” and “searching for and finding someone or something,” like in this example, “It’s his job to seek out new customers.” 

So, we can see that seeking involves some effort on our part, and we have to be continually seeking the kingdom of God which will be established when Christ returns, and which ultimately is the only hope for mankind, and we need to seek the righteousness of God which involves keeping the commandments. All the other physical things we may wish and desire will be given to us in due time; and at the end, the best gift of all will be eternal life. Let’s never forget the words of Christ in Luke 12:32: “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

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