With everything going on in the world and with every day bringing some new development, usually in a negative way, we have to wonder how long this madness is going to go on.

With the event of Donald Trump vacating the White House, for some of us who held the belief that it all was going to end in 1975, it brings back memories of the goalpost being moved.

It appeared like there was going to be a second term for Mr. Trump beginning in 2021 and that he would during that term be somehow involved with the building of the temple in Jerusalem which would usher in events leading up to the great tribulation and the return of Christ after the tribulation. All of that appears now to be pushed sometime into the future, and can lead some of us to be somewhat rattled at the prospect of things going on for several more years.

I recall that in 1971, during a ministerial visit, we told the minister we were planning to buy a house. His response was, “Why bother, we are fleeing next year,” to which I responded, “We will just have to sell it when the time comes.” Well, that never happened and some brethren left the church over it. Some had delayed pursuing further education or having dental work done and as a result lost their zeal.

The Truth is, we don’t know when all the end-time events are going to be fulfilled; in fact, it might not be in my lifetime as I am getting close to eighty. There are quite a few of us in our late seventies and early eighties. Does that mean we throw in the towel and give up? No, we push on till the end. We endeavor to persevere till the task we have been given individually is complete, since whether we see Christ return or we die before His return, if we remain faithful to the end, our reward of eternal life is sealed.

Paul, more than most, went through trials that would really discourage the average person, and he did it all for the hope of the resurrection which is our hope. When he realized that Christ would not return in his lifetime, this was his summary: “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).

This promise stands true for all who endure to the end, so let’s ensure we focus on that and not be discouraged because it appears the return of Christ is a little further off than what we may have anticipated.

Do we really understand how much and to what degree this world is being held captive by Satan and his demons? Could this also apply to any of us? (cp. 2 Timothy 2:24-26). Of course, Satan cannot do what God does not allow, but still, this is NOT God’s world. It is Satan’s world, and he has deceived and is deceiving the whole world (Revelation 12:9). We are asked to come out of this sinful Babylon of confusion (Revelation 18:4). While living in this world (John 17:18), we are not to be part of this world (John 17:14, 16). Satan is the ruler of mankind, and he gives power and authority to human leaders. In Luke 4:5-7, we read how Satan tried to tempt Christ, saying: “Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, ‘All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.’”

Christ did not dispute Satan’s claim. He knew it was true. He knew that Satan rules on his throne here on earth (Revelation 2:13). He also knew, of course, that Satan would be behind the ten revivals of the Roman Empire in Europe (Revelation 13:2, 4), and that he would give power and authority to the coming beast and the false prophet. But do we understand that this is not limited to those past, present and future developments and rulers in Europe? Satan has power over ALL the kingdoms of the world, and he gives his authority to WHOMEVER he wishes.

People are deceived, because Satan is pretending to be an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14)… not of darkness. They may believe that rulers under his guidance and direction want to do the best for the people… and some in authority might very well think that they do, but they don’t understand what is good and what is bad (Isaiah 5:20). While they say they want peace, their actions lead to war and misery; rather than saving lives, they help to destroy lives (Romans 3:10-18).

Satan wants all mankind to be eradicated and wiped off this planet. And he would be successful if it were not for Jesus Christ who will come back to this earth to make an end to this madness of human misrule at His return.

Satan’s main target, however, is the people of God. He knows that Christ’s true disciples will replace him and his rule when Christ returns, and so he has great wrath against God’s Church, knowing that his time is short (Revelation 12:12).

Satan’s modus operandi  is not just to destroy and kill literally, but also, and perhaps even more importantly at this time, to destroy us spiritually. He uses teachers in all the world who are teaching our children the wrong things in school—from the godless evolution concept to the abominable ideas of abortion and war to the false concepts of sexual immorality, just to name a few. He will try to use his human rulers to prohibit the preaching of the gospel and to malign, accuse and persecute those who do. We are already seeing the beginning of these endeavors. Satan is a liar and a murderer, and we must not be ignorant of his evil devices.

Very importantly, Satan is the accuser of the brethren, accusing them day and night before God (Revelation 12:10). Some of his accusations might be their sinful conduct for which he was directly responsible. Satan influenced Peter to speak Satan’s words (Mark 8:31-33); and he influenced Judas to betray Christ (Luke 22:3; John 13:27). It is therefore critical that we repent of our sins when we become aware of them and confess them to God so that we can be cleansed (1 John 1:9), and so that Satan does not succeed (Revelation 12:11; Zechariah 3:1-5).

It is Satan’s goal to devour us (1. Peter 5:8). In order to accomplish this, he is using fiery darts (Ephesians 6:16); evil devices or schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11); craftiness or unscrupulous conduct (2 Corinthians 11:3); and wiles or thought-out tricks (Ephesians 6:11).

God warns us that we can easily fall for Satan, if we are not careful. He describes Satan in very descriptive ways:

Satan is identified as our adversary (1 Peter 5:8); the god of this age or of this present evil world (2 Corinthians 4:4) who is worshipped (Matthew 4:9; Revelation 13:4); the prince and ruler of the darkness of this world and age (John 12:31; 14:30; Ephesians 6:12); the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2); a murderer and a liar (John 8:44) who blinds the minds of unbelievers (2 Corinthians 4:4); and Apollyon, meaning “the destroyer” (Revelation 9:11).

But we don’t have to be or become Satan’s victims, falling for his evil devices and becoming inadvertently his instruments (1 Timothy 5:15). It is very comforting to know that we can protect ourselves against Satan, when we are sober or self-controlled (1 Peter 5:8); when we are vigilant or watchful and on the alert (1 Peter 5:8); when we resist him (1 Peter 5:9; James 4:7) while submitting to and drawing near to God (James 4:7-8); when we put on God’s whole spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:11); accept and apply the “blood of the Lamb” or Christ’s Sacrifice to and for our sins (Revelation 12:11); when we believe God and His Word and live by it, while rejecting all lies (Revelation 12:11, 17); and when we give our lives to God (Revelation 12:11).

The good news is, God will crush Satan under our feet shortly (Romans 16:20), but in the meantime, as we have read, we must resist him now and draw near to God; and Satan will flee from us. Then, we can say victoriously with Jesus: “Satan has no power over me” (compare John 14:30, Revised Standard Version).

At the end of January this year, Ohio Senator Rob Portman announced that he would not seek re-election following the completion of his current term that ends in 2023. For nearly 30 years he has worked in the upper echelon of federal politics, as an advisor for presidential administrations, as a member of the House of Representatives, and now as a Senator. Over the many years, he has prided himself as being results-oriented, crossing party lines to do what he believed was right, even when others in his party would disagree. To be clear, we are not endorsing or rejecting his political views or statements, and this Editorial should not be understood in any way as to approving or disapproving his positions. But in commenting on the reasons behind his decision not to seek re-election, he cited the divisiveness that is increasingly plaguing politics today. Portman stated, “Our country’s polarized right now.… It’s kind of shirts and skins. That makes it more difficult to find that common ground. Elected officials aren’t rewarded for that. What they’re rewarded for is throwing red meat to the talk show.” We see from this example an insider’s account of the problems that face the U.S. government. The divisiveness in politics, vaunted by the media and incited by the populous, draws attention away from the hard work of righteous virtue, focusing instead on feeding an insatiable appetite of bloodlust and vitriol.

What we see right now merely foreshadows the hostility of individuals and factions that will increase as the return of Christ draws closer. Jesus Christ reminds us of the reason why this is so when He states, “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). The citizens and ironically, the lawmakers of our nations are not seeking the Will of God, but rather they are embracing lawlessness. We can see the consequences of these worldly actions today manifested in the hatred expressed against those who hold contrary opinions. Sadly, the world that we live in will need to suffer catastrophe and near-extinction before the return of Jesus Christ sets things straight.

Until then, we must endure life in this world, doing the hard work of upholding the Way of God. We know that Satan is the lying tempter who deceives the world, convincing individuals to adopt his way of sin rather than the Way of God (compare 1 John 5:19, Revelation 12:9). It is our responsibility to be on guard against these powerful forces in the world because they can be very subtle in their influence. We have the privilege of having the Truth of God through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It provides us with a guide to discern the worldly from the spiritual. But we have to put the Holy Spirit to work in our lives if we want it to be effective! If we don’t, we too may succumb to the way of sin without even recognizing our falling away from the Truth. We know that Satan will work to deceive even the elect – those who have the Truth (compare Matthew 24:24, Mark 13:22). We must not fall into that trap. Since we live in this world that embraces a culture of conflict, we face the threat of becoming negatively influenced unless we are constantly vigilant. Jesus Christ spoke of this state of being when He prayed to God the Father in those last hours of His life on Earth, saying about His disciples, “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:16-17). If we want to guard ourselves against the evil in the world that surrounds us, we must separate ourselves from the world by clinging to God’s Truth, rather than becoming influenced by the nonsense that swirls around us.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul offers instruction that can serve us very well today: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2). We can renew our minds by focusing our attention on doing good, rather than those things that heighten our anger. This is not to say that we could not and must not become angry about the evils in this world or that we could not or must not hate what is wrong. We most certainly have to, but we are speaking here of the hate and anger of the carnal mind. By finding reasons to love what is right rather than hate in the wrong way, we please God. By making peace, we become sons of God. By offering mercy to others, we too will receive mercy from God. By doing good in our lives, we will overcome evil. (Compare Matthew 5:7, Matthew 5:9, Romans 12:21.)

Separating ourselves from this world is no simple task. As hard as we try, we will still become influenced by it. It is impossible to completely avoid it. Christ was the only One who was able to overcome this world and its evil influences perfectly, without ever sinning. But just as Christ served to glorify His Father in heaven, while still living in this world, we must do the same today by the way we live our lives. Our mission on this Earth is to continually work to find those areas in our lives where we can eliminate the worldly ways that influence us to sin and replace them with love and Truth. In doing so, we uphold godly righteousness and improve our own wellbeing right now, and we guarantee that we will be able to enter the Kingdom of God in the future.

It seems that the whole world is being devoured by hatred, and, indeed, Jesus spoke of a time when the love of many would grow cold (Matthew 24:12). We see this in the unbridled bitterness spewing forth daily in the media. Nations are divided by those who seek power over others who have opposing views; there is growing racial and religious discord resulting in never-ending violence; and, even the most fundamental understanding of what it means to be a human being is being redefined by those who practice shameful and godless lifestyles.

The Apostle Paul wrote that “the sting of death is sin” (1 Corinthians 15:56). Sin is how Satan was able to “sting” both Adam and Eve and then all of humanity by overwhelming them with disobedience to God—and thus, invoking the death penalty on the world. We are warned:

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

One way we can be devoured is to let Satan plant a root of bitterness (Hebrews 12:15) within any of us who are members of the Church of God. That ploy has worked far too often and with far too much success. Once bitterness is sown, its contagion is deadly. Former brethren who once walked in love and unity turn to become bitter, resentful and consumed by Satan’s deception.

We are taught this fundamental truth of God—it is how we can avoid and even cure bitterness:

“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Galatians 5:14).

That counsel is followed by this caution:

“But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another (Galatians 5:15).”

Who among the brethren do you hate, resent, disrespect or simply want to avoid? Hopefully, not a single individual arises in the mind of any of us in answering this question. If there is, the surest resolve for us is to repent to God for our own sins. If someone has wronged us, we must do what Jesus commanded us to do (sadly, this is not being done as it should—a step that would help heal a bitter spirit):

“‘Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother’” (Matthew 18:15).

So, what is integrity? Physically, it could be understood as wholeness. As an example, if a boat hull has integrity, then it does not leak, it is whole. If a computer program has integrity, it performs what it was designed for without errors.

When it applies to our spiritual lives, a good definition from Google is: “Integrity is the quality of having strong ethical or moral principles and following them at all times, no matter who’s watching. A person with integrity acts with honesty, honour, and truthfulness.” To this could be added, “even when no one is watching except for God.”

Unfortunately, in this day and age, integrity can be difficult to find. During this current Covid crisis, we hear of politicians who enact lockdown rules for the safety of the population, but then go and break these same rules, especially when they think they will not be found out. One would say that they do not act with integrity. Similarly, there is much doubt about the integrity of the vote count in the recent US election. Was it fraudulent?

In the Bible, we find there are some people specifically mentioned because of their integrity. One of those was David. After Solomon had prayed dedicating the House of the Lord, God appeared to him and made this comment in 1 Kings 9:4-5. “Now if you walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgements, then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever…”

So, God considered David had integrity and was upright. The Hebrew word translated integrity means completeness and innocence, whereas the Hebrew word translated uprightness means straight or even. In the Psalms are many statements of how David loved God’s Law and meditated on it continually. He loved God and His ways completely, even in spite of his occasional faults.

Another person whom God stated was upright was Job. Job himself claimed that he held fast his integrity (Job 27:5-6), and, in fact, when we read in the book of Job, chapters 29 and 31, we find a very comprehensive list of things that Job did correctly. This would explain why God said he was blameless prior to being tested (compare Job 1:8, Job 2:3). His problem was not lack of integrity but self-righteousness.

Let us now consider Ruth. She was a young widow living in the land of Moab, a woman of great integrity even though it is not stated as such. When her mother-in-law Naomi, also a widow, was leaving Moab to return to Israel, she recommended that her daughters-in-law return to Moab. However, Ruth refused to return, making the statement in Ruth 1:16-17, “Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.”

She was willing to totally give up her whole past life, family and country, never wanting to return to it. Ruth’s integrity did not just consist of words, but when we follow the part of her life that is recorded, she served Naomi very well, working in the barley and wheat fields collecting the grain that God commanded to be left for the poor, the stranger, the fatherless and the widow (Leviticus 19:9-10 and Deuteronomy 24:19-21). Even though she had the right to glean according to God’s Law, she still asked permission, showing that humility was a part of her integrity (Ruth 2:7).

It was not only her hard physical labour that displayed her character, but she had a very good reputation that had been related to Boaz of all that she had done for her mother-in-law (Ruth 2:11-12). Her life showed her great integrity, and God rewarded her with a good husband and enabled her to be the great grandmother of David and an ancestor of Jesus Christ Himself.

Following these examples, and there are others that could also be mentioned, God expects us to live a life of integrity. It can be difficult always doing and saying what is right when many will disagree with us. And as persecution increases, especially for Christians, we should apply to ourselves what David said in Psalm 41:12: “As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, And set me before Your face forever.”

Looking at the riotous and destructive events over the past year, it’s very obvious that people, when guided solely by their own carnality, rise to nothing more than confused beasts.  Whether it’s the destruction and takeover of portions of our cities or the storming of our capital, these events show a mindset that is utterly devoid of God.  Mob or herd mentality is not just a trite description of social behavior.  People often lose their better senses when they allow themselves to be swayed and controlled by others. And this loss of personal control always begins with people putting themselves in settings or attitudes that breed confusion. “For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there” (James 3:16).

This carnal trait is not just symptomatic of our era.  As described in the Book of Acts, the same characteristic was used against the early followers of Christ. “At that time a great disturbance erupted about the Way. There was a silversmith named Demetrius. He made silver models of Artemis’ temple, and his business generated a lot of profit for the craftspeople. He called a meeting with these craftspeople and others working in related trades and said, ‘Friends, you know that we make an easy living from this business. And you can see and hear that this Paul has convinced and misled a lot of people, not only in Ephesus but also throughout most of the province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands aren’t really gods. This poses a danger not only by discrediting our trade but also by completely dishonoring the great goddess Artemis. The whole province of Asia—indeed, the entire civilized world—worships her, but her splendor will soon be extinguished’” (Acts 19:23-27 Common English Bible).

When the mobs rushed in to stop the apostles, they did so with confusion as their guide.  “The city was thrown into turmoil. They rushed as one into the theater. They seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from the province of Macedonia… Meanwhile, the assembly was in a state of confusion. Some shouted one thing, others shouted something else, and most of the crowd didn’t know why they had gathered” (Acts 19:29, 32 Common English Bible).

Societal chaos always begins with deceit and blindness to the Truth. No matter how well laid out man’s reasoning might be, anything that is not of God is confusion. Christ was clear in demonstrating this division between Godly and carnal mindsets.  When Christ preached of His death and resurrection, Peter became upset and “took Him (Christ) aside and began to rebuke Him.  But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men’” (Mark 8:32-33).  As Christ demonstrated through His rebuke to Peter, there is no middle ground for the Truth, it is absolute.

It’s no easy task to separate ourselves from the chaos of the world when surrounded by such turmoil. But that is precisely the reason we are called by God to be lights.  “God is not the author of confusion but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33). We must steady ourselves and stay grounded in that simple yet profound understanding.

Now that’s an interesting headline, grammatically incorrect with a double negative, but it does have an effect.   Even with its flaws, most people will get the meaning.

https://wordhistories.net gives us this explanation of its origin:

“The colloquial phrases you ain’t seen nothing yet and you ain’t heard nothing yet are used to indicate that however extreme or impressive something may seem, it will be overshadowed by what is to come.

“The latter phrase is generally said to have first appeared as the title and in the lyrics of a song by Al Jolson and Gus Kahn (music by Bud De Sylva). Published in 1919 by Jerome H. Remick & Co. (Detroit & New York), You Ain’t Heard Nothing Yet was originally interpreted by Al Jolson.”

livemint.com echoes with this warning:

“The WHO (World Health Organisation) warned that worse pandemics could lie ahead, urging the world to get ‘serious’ about preparedness.  The novel coronavirus has had a devastating impact around the globe, but the World Health Organization warned Monday (December 28th) that worse pandemics could lie ahead, urging the world to get ‘serious’ about preparedness.  ‘This is a wakeup call,’ WHO emergencies chief Michael Ryan told reporters at a briefing marking a year since the UN agency first learned of the new virus spreading in China.”

The Covid19 virus has had an enormous effect on the world since the beginning of 2020, and the consequences of what we have seen and experienced have devastated many businesses, economies and, most importantly, many people’s lives.

However, there can be no question that the statistics have been skewed.   For example, walesonline.co.uk gives this example: “A patient who has tested positive, but successfully treated and discharged from hospital, will still be counted as a Covid death even if they had a heart attack or were run over by a bus three months later.”   Nevertheless, this virus is real and has wreaked havoc and heartache within countries and families around the world.

Wherever you look around the world there seems to be insurmountable problems and no country seems to be immune from them.  To list many of these now would be to just reiterate regular news items and much that is regularly highlighted in our weekly Update.

But wait.   This is just the beginning.   The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord are now, surely, just over the horizon and when it is God’s time for these things to happen, they will.   It will be the only way to get man’s attention!

With many panicking at the current state of affairs, what the future holds will be much, much worse.   Only our continual obedience to God’s ways will keep us from the suffering that the world will have to endure, and we are admonished in Luke 21:36 to: “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Much worse is to come, although the world is looking forward to normal service being resumed after the coronavirus has been defeated.   Who knows, there could still be a short breathing space after the current crisis has been dealt with before further devastating events happen to an unrepentant human race.  The key is to remember that these things will happen when God deems it right to do so in His plan for mankind. The timing is in His hands, but worse will surely follow.

And – be aware: You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet!

Over the past week, we saw the President of the United States of America banned from social media platforms for posting comments interpreted as inciting violence. While no violence or incitation of it is justifiable, the social media giant Twitter chose to interpret seemingly innocuous statements by President Trump as glorifying violence. In his final incriminating tweet, President Trump expressed his intention to not attend the inauguration of Joe Biden. How such a statement glorifies violence is beyond me. Yet, Twitter found a way to interpret this statement as a call to violence in support of his own election, therefore providing them with a justification to finally shut down his account permanently.

What I find most disturbing is how this example demonstrates the power wielded by the tech giants to squash voices that express ideas opposing the narrative set forth by mainstream media. In recent history, especially over the past year, we’ve seen several examples of objective and factual statements being subjectively judged as a “threat” because they spread information that conflicts with the mainstream agenda of those in power. When a message by someone contradicts that which serves their interests, those who are in power take away the privilege of expressing those ideas and beliefs. More and more, we see that only the popular ideas and beliefs in the world may be expressed freely. Any voice that contradicts is threatened to be silenced, discredited, ridiculed, denounced, belittled, and otherwise rejected. Their terms are to conform or be canceled.

For Christians, what we saw happen to the President of the United States should be a wakeup call. But not in the way that our political positions are threatened – because we do not involve ourselves in the politics of this world. Rather, what we are witnessing is the power of the few determining what beliefs are acceptable to express. And that is a threat to true Christianity.

The Christian beliefs that we hold, which are founded in the Truth of God’s Word, will conflict more and more with the world we live in. If we express those truths out loud, do we really think that we will easily be heard? Do we really think that the platforms that provide a means of sharing ideas will tolerate God’s Truth? If we as a Church preach the gospel, as Christ commissioned us to do, the world will hate us for it! Jesus Christ states this clearly (compare John 15:18, John 17:14, Matthew 24:9). What we see now are the possible examples of how this hatred of God’s Truth will manifest. The prince of the power of the air, Satan (compare Ephesians 2:2), will do whatever he can to prevent the Truth from even being expressed, because it contradicts with his agenda to lead man to destruction.

Sadly, this world has chosen to exchange the plain truth of God for lies (compare Romans 1:24-25). Until Jesus Christ returns, lies will prevail in this world with growing intensity. Our job is to never fall prey to those lies. To protect ourselves, we need to love the Truth and never shrink away from upholding it. “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-11). There is nothing that we can do to control the world we live in, but we can defend ourselves against its deceptive effects. If we continue to hold fast to God’s Truth with our whole heart, we will prevail against all other powers that threaten to extinguish it.

We all have responsibilities in this world. Whether we are parents, children or employees, we all are responsible for ourselves. Responsibility is given when one shows growth in areas of their lives. I find it interesting that the Apostle John was inspired to write: “I am writing to you, little children (believers, dear ones), because your sins have been forgiven for His name’s sake [you have been pardoned and released from spiritual debt through His name because you have confessed His name, believing in Him as Savior]. I am writing to you, fathers [those believers who are spiritually mature], because you know Him who has existed from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men [those believers who are growing in spiritual maturity], because you have been victorious and have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children [those who are new believers, those spiritually immature], because you have come to know the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has existed from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong and vigorous, and the word of God remains [always] in you, and you have been victorious over the evil one [by accepting Jesus as Savior]” (1 John 2:12-14 AMP).

John was writing this to encourage people to take a look at their lives, the things that they were going through day by day and to see if they didn’t find these things to be evident in their lives. If they weren’t then he wouldn’t have written this. In verses 3 – 6 he also wrote (AMP): “And this is how we know [daily, by experience] that we have come to know Him [to understand Him and be more deeply acquainted with Him]: if we habitually keep [focused on His precepts and obey] His commandments (teachings). Whoever says, “I have come to know Him,” but does not habitually keep [focused on His precepts and obey] His commandments (teachings), is a liar, and the truth [of the divine word] is not in him. But whoever habitually keeps His word and obeys His precepts [and treasures His message in its entirety], in him the love of God has truly been perfected [it is completed and has reached maturity]. By this we know [for certain] that we are in Him: whoever says he lives in Christ [that is, whoever says he has accepted Him as God and Savior] ought [as a moral obligation] to walk and conduct himself just as He walked and conducted Himself.”

The world always seems to revolve around the idea that every New Year is going to bring something better and that things will change in some way. But so often situations in people’s lives stay the same, year after year. WHY?

What about us? Are we growing? Or are we spiritually the same year after year? Why is it that some people show 30%, 60% and 100% growth, while some don’t show any growth and either show general disinterest or fully fall away?

It all has to do with our mindsets and what we are willing to put in. Are we truly willing to allow Christ to lead in our lives? Allowing Him to do this means we must be fully engaged in prayer, Bible study and meditation. In everything bringing ourselves into subjection (1 Corinthians 9:27).

In 1 Timothy 4:14-16 (AMP) Paul was encouraging Timothy to be growing so much that EVERYONE would be able to tell that he was making progress: “Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, [that special endowment] which was intentionally bestowed on you [by the Holy Spirit] through prophetic utterance when the elders laid their hands on you [at your ordination]. Practice and work hard on these things; be absorbed in them [completely occupied in your ministry], so that your progress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself [concentrate on your personal development] and to your teaching; persevere in these things [hold to them], for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”

This edification is not always easy to maintain. We go through “seasons” in our lives where situations are not always easy to maintain where growth may feel incredibly painful and unbearable. But the truth is that if we maintain our relationship with God and Christ and we are moving forward, even if it is just on our hands and knees, like babies crawling forward, we will make it through whatever is thrown at us.  “Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord [always doing your best and doing more than is needed], being continually aware that your labor [even to the point of exhaustion] in the Lord is not futile nor wasted [it is never without purpose]” (1 Corinthians 15:58 AMP).

When we become weary and burdened by the lives we live, we must remember why we are here and why we continue to be dedicated to growing spiritually. It is not for our own glory:

“But grow [spiritually mature] in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory (honor, majesty, splendor), both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”  This is truly the goal that each of us should be seeking daily. If we are careful to keep these things in mind we will be useful servants of God who are truly growing into the roles that He is preparing for us as Children in His soon coming Kingdom” (2 Peter 3:18 AMP).

Throughout the years we have written many articles and have given many messages about what we can expect in the upcoming year. We conclude the current year with a summary and review of what we all witnessed around the world and then we ask the question on what we can expect for the “new year.”  We make mention to the fact that Christ will return soon and that we need to be prepared for that, watching what is going on in the world in relation to biblical prophecy.  We have articles that were written over 10 years ago alluding to these statements, along with warnings of what the very near future is going to bring.

Even though these end-time prophecies revealed in the Bible haven’t come to pass, and we don’t know exactly when they will occur, we get more of an idea of how much closer we really are getting based on the situation we are currently in, and we can EXPECT things to get much worse.  We can see just how quickly time has passed in 10 years and we can see just how quickly the world has changed in just one year.  In just one year the livelihood of every individual around the globe has been affected and negatively impacted by just one virus.

The beginning of sorrows which Christ talks about in Matthew 24:4-8 is what we will be going through very shortly, yet the majority of the world doesn’t even realize it, or they do not understand what is really going to happen.  We have already experienced a small taste of what is described here with deception, false prophets, wars and rumors of wars, famines, diseases, and earthquakes in various places, but this is only the beginning.   Many do expect and believe that there will be an “end of the world” but how are they really preparing for it?  Are they preparing like God’s people are supposed to be? I dare to say that not even 1% of the entire population in the world has any understanding of what is going to come.

That which is certain is the fact that we do not know exactly when Christ will return (Matthew 24:36).  God says that a thousand years is like one day to Him as stated in 2 Peter 3:8, so imagine what only 10 years is like in God’s eyes.  What we do know is that the time is going to come when God has had enough, His patience will end and Christ’s coming will not be delayed anymore, and the horrible things that are prophesied in the Bible will begin to take place.

There are so many events that still need to come to pass before Christ’s return and we are certainly witnessing at this very moment the beginning stages of sorrows.  Things can develop so quickly and catch everyone off guard, which is why we can’t be slack in our responsibility to keep watching and being spiritually prepared (1 Thessalonians 5:1-4; Revelation 3:3).

We have just scratched the surface of what is imminent.  So again, we ask the question, what can we expect for this upcoming year?  Will it get better?  Based on what we are going through presently with man’s speculative measures in “controlling” the current pandemic, it would be extremely difficult to imagine that things will go back to “normal.” This is NOT what the Bible reveals.  We KNOW what is going to come and we had better make sure that we are on God’s side for OUR lives are in HIS hands.