A Samurai Warrior is an expert at using his sword for offensive as well as defensive means. He attains this level by training for many years under a tutor. He continues to practice and to keep his sword sharp and in a good condition. He is a fine example of practice leading to perfection. Professional musicians serve as additional examples for the need of continued practice. A famous violinist once said it was crucial for him to stay in form by practicing every day. He said if he did not practice for one day, he knew it. If he did not practice for two days, the critics knew it. If he failed to practice for three days, the audience knew it.

The question I would like to pose in this editorial is how are we doing with OUR sword? Are we PRACTICING the use of our sword? Our sword, according to Ephesians 6:17, is actually God’s sword that He gave us to be used by us, thereby accepting it as “our” sword. This sword is the Word of God — in other words, the Bible.

We can see how effectively Christ used His sword against Satan, as recorded in Matthew 4:3-10. Christ remembered and applied the Word of God to deflect the arrows of Satan, as it were, to defeat his attack on Him. Satan was attempting to get Him to sin, so that Christ would disqualify Himself as our Savior.

After this encounter, Satan left Him for a season or for another “opportune time” (Luke 4:13), which means he never quit. He just took a pause in his effort to bring Christ down. Bear in mind that Satan doesn’t rest from his efforts today to also bring us down. He is described as a roaring lion, walking about and “seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

We, as brothers and sisters of Christ and children of God the Father, need to keep our swords sharp and ready for use. We do this by the continuous study of the Word of God. The Bible is our complete weapon to thwart the efforts of the adversary in his attempts to get us to fall short of our calling.

We should be studying God’s Word daily. We can find comfort in the recorded examples of how God dealt with His servants in the past. Internalizing God’s laws in our minds, and learning how to apply the laws and statutes in our daily lives, should be a top priority in our studies. We read in 2 Timothy 2:15, in the Authorized Version, that we should study to show ourselves approved unto God. Are we doing this?

As Christian soldiers, we need to ensure that we remain faithful in our responsibilities to God the Father and Jesus Christ. This means that we need to practice daily the use of God’s Word. We must keep our sword ready for use when required, and we need to show ourselves approved unto God by our daily study of His Word, the Bible. At the successful end of our training, brethren, we will enter the Kingdom of God — a goal well worthy of the effort that is required of us now.

In lieu of this week’s Editorial, we are publishing a short summary from Mr. Rene Messier, pertaining to his and his wife’s European trip for the Feast of Tabernacles.

Impressions from Europe

This year, my wife Delia and I had the opportunity to attend the Feast in England. The Feast site was at Leamington Spa, about a two-hour drive north of London. It was the first time that my wife and I had traveled off the North American continent, so this was quite an experience for us. I want to share a few observations and feelings about our trip. First of all, the messages at the Feast were superb, and the weather was good for the duration of the Feast – especially for England. We also really enjoyed being with God’s people in England, and we will not forget this special opportunity and privilege.

It was a real thrill to drive on the opposite side of the road and going on the round-abouts. For the first few days, I kept hitting the curb on the left side of the road. I almost caused several accidents in the round-abouts because I kept looking to my left rather than to my right. Thankfully, we survived the ten days in England without incident.

England is a place of great heritage. We were able to visit Stratford-upon-Avon, the town where Shakespeare was born, and Warwick Castle, both historical sites.

After the Feast, we took the train to Paris, France. We met a young woman on the train who was working in London. She was from Germany and told us that she could work in any country on the continent that uses the Euro, without restriction. We found this interesting in light of Biblical prophecy, foretelling a united Europe with one currency and being a world economic power. On the other hand, England still uses the pound. This reminded us of our understanding relative to England, not being a part of the future European superpower.

Our trip to France was also very meaningful to us, since Delia and I are both French. The city of Paris contains a lot of heritage and history. We were able to visit the Louvre where the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo can be seen. We heard an interesting story while on one of the tours. It involved the German General in charge of Paris near the end of the Second World War. He had received orders to bomb, burn and destroy the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Opera House and the Notre Dame cathedral. He refused to follow these orders. The French are still very grateful for his decision. Although this will not prevent the city and most of the cities of the earth from being destroyed during the prophesied Day of the Lord, it did preserve, for the time being, invaluable artifacts and stately buildings in Paris.

All in all, we had a wonderful Feast and a short holiday in Europe. We were glad to arrive safely home, pondering what it will be like in the future – when war and pollution won’t exist anymore, and when cities will be built to be inhabited peacefully and joyfully. Then, we won’t hear of someone giving orders to bomb and burn buildings and monuments. The Feast has pictured this soon-coming time of peace. It is good to be reminded of it, knowing that it will soon be reality for all mankind.

In Deuteronomy 16:13-14 we are admonished by God in this manner: “You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered from your threshing floor and from your winepress. And you shall REJOICE in your feast, you and your son and your daughter…”

We are told not just to observe or keep the feast but to rejoice in it, together with our families. For many of us, the only family we have to rejoice with is our Church family. Others are blessed of also having their flesh-and-blood family with them. Here are some tips to rejoice at the feast:

1) Let us make every effort to pray and study the Bible during the feast. It is not sufficient to just attend services. Personal study and prayer during that time are very important. Some have found it very helpful to take time out and review, as part of their personal study, the sermonette and sermon notes that they took down on the previous day. In doing this, our relationship with God will be strengthened, and we will be able to reflect God’s joy in our lives.

2) Let us pray for a positive personal attitude. We might run into problems before or during the feast, but they should not influence us to become upset and negative. When we notice that bad feelings seem to overpower us, let us immediately pray to God and ask Him to restore in us the joy we all need to have and to express to others.

3) Let us pray for one another that we will all arrive at the feast safely. This would include praying for the safety of the ministry who are there to serve all of us. We need to also pray for those who cannot be there this year, be it for personal or other reasons. Sending them a card is a nice way to let them know that they are not forgotten at this time. Most importantly, let us pray that God would restrain the hand of Satan so that the Internet broadcasts, Church services and other feast activities would go well.

4) Let us make this an opportunity to take brethren out for dinner who may not have been able to save enough second tithe. This would include, perhaps, a widow or a large family. I remember my first feast when I did not have a lot of second tithe since I was baptized in August. Another member took me out for a meal. It left a lasting impression on me. In subsequent years I was able to do the same for others. It has had a cumulative effect. I was able to pass on to others, what someone else had done for me first.

5) Let us strive to meet and converse with new people. It is amazing how we can draw close to one another and learn more about one another just by conversing and enjoying the fellowship afforded us at this time. This is perhaps the only time we will get to see some of our beloved brethren in the year.

6) Let us make every effort to stay in good health and get sufficient rest. This will enable us to attend every service to get the spiritual food which has been prepared for us, and also, to participate in all of the planned activities at the feast.

7) Let us serve as much as we have opportunity. There are many ways to serve the brethren at the feast, be it with ushering, offering someone a ride or giving them other needed assistance, or participating in choir or the Talent Show. If you have a talent in singing or playing an instrument, share it with others at the feast. This will help all of us to enjoy the feast more fully.

It is our hope that you will have a wonderful and inspiring feast this year. When we follow the time-proven admonitions set forth in this Editorial, it will be much easier for us to truly REJOICE at the feast.
 

This might seem like a simplistic question to ask of people who claim to be Christians. However, it appears by what has been happening in the USA, Canada, and other countries around the world, that the concept of sin or the understanding of what it is, is totally lacking.

To those of us familiar with the Bible, our answer would be, “Sin is the transgression of the law,” or — as it is phrased in the NKJ version — “Sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4).

The next logical question would be, what law is John referring to? We understand that he is talking about the Ten Commandments, as well as the many biblical principles or injunctions given by God and Christ that explain and magnify the Ten Commandments. For example, Proverbs 6:16-19 lists things which God hates. A proud look is one of them. If God hates a proud look, one has to conclude that pride is sin, yet pride is not listed as one of the Ten Commandments. I use this as an illustration to show that sin goes beyond the literal bounds of the Ten Commandments.

Another example is 1 John 5:17, “All unrighteousness is sin.” Recently, same sex marriages were made legal in some Canadian provinces. The Bible says that such conduct is an abomination. We know of “non-Christian” cultures, having no knowledge of the Bible, that do not allow this kind of behavior or union to take place. Some professing Christians who endorse such conduct could learn a lesson from people whom they would look down on as “pagans.” Romans 2:14-16 gives us an interesting warning in that regard.

Romans 1:26-32 shows how God abhors and hates homosexual deeds, condemning them in His Word. This passage also shows that those who perform or approve of such deeds are not guiltless in His sight. This is a real description of our times.

Another recent incident, illustrating the sinful world in which we live, involves a large denomination in a US Church appointing someone to the office of bishop who is known to be openly homosexual.

What does the Bible tell us about the office of a minister? 1 Timothy 3:1-7 states that a minister must be blameless, the husband of one wife and of good behavior, just to name a few requirements.

To appoint an openly gay man as bishop makes a mockery of the Word of God and of God Himself. In Revelation 21:8, God gives us a list of those who will not be in His kingdom. One of the categories of people listed includes those described as sexually immoral. Unless those engaged in sexually immoral conduct repent and recognize the seriousness of their lifestyle and ways, they will not be in the kingdom of God.

Brethren, we know what sin is. We are neither deceived nor ignorant of what is sin or how God views sin, knowing full well that God absolutely hates sin, yet He loves the sinner. It is apparent that the lessons of sinning and the havoc it causes are yet to be learned by the nations of this world. Those striving to obey God and to overcome sin can be comforted, however, by the words of God in Revelation 21:7, “He who overcomes (sin) shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.”

We have just celebrated the Spring Festivals of Passover, Days of Unleavened Bread and Pentecost. We have the long hot summer to contend with until the arrival of the next group of Annual Festivals – the Autumn Festivals. It is imperative during this period of time that we stay focused on the task and job we have been called to do. It is so easy to get sidetracked and/or distracted to the point where we become ineffective – by going around in circles and not accomplishing much or not working to our full potential.

Two Scriptures effectively summarize the reason for our calling in this day and age. The first Scripture, 2 Peter 3:18, commands us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Just how do we grow in Christ’s grace and knowledge? For a plant to grow it must be watered. God’s Spirit must water us on a continual basis. To be watered most effectively, we must continue to pray, study the Bible, meditate and – as unpleasant as it may seem – fast occasionally. These are the tools we can use to GROW. A tree stops growing when it is cut down or dead. This example from nature contains a lesson for us. In order to attain our goal (which is, to enter the kingdom of God), we have to keep growing throughout our Christian lives until the day of our death or change, at the return of Christ. We just cannot afford to let down, get discouraged and quit. Matthew 24:13 tells us, “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” That’s the standard we need to work towards achieving.

The second Scripture to focus on, when considering the reason for our present calling, is Matthew 24:14. It reads, “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.” Notice it says, the gospel WILL be preached. It does NOT say, it might perhaps be preached. This job will get done. It has not been completed since the end has not yet come. The only question is, “Am I going to be involved in this process of preaching the gospel?”

As part and parcel of our calling, we have been invited to be involved in this work God is doing, in sending out a warning message and in preparing a people for Christ’s return. We should not get distracted in our task, during this period between the Spring and Fall Festivals, but remain focused and true to our calling. Remember the words of Christ, “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much” (Luke 16:10). Neither should we despise the day of small things (Zechariah 4:10; compare, too, Haggai 2:3-4). The parable of the mustard seed, in Matthew 13:31-32, explains to us that God, when He works through man, generally starts small, but huge results often follow.

Dear Brethren, as we go through the summer months and the early fall season, let us remain focused on the task ahead of us, not neglecting to do our part in the work, nor letting down in our responsibilities, including personal prayer, Bible study, meditation and occasional fasting. If we do these things, we will stay focused and we will be effective tools in God’s hands.
 

We have just finished celebrating Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread. These feast days reminded us of our commitment to God the Father and Jesus Christ. We renewed our relationship with God at Passover, accepting and claiming the great sacrifice that is bringing about the forgiveness of our sins. We continued to walk in God’s way by, symbolically, removing from our lives the leaven of sin during the seven days of Unleavened Bread, as we had physically removed all leaven from our homes. The number seven pictures completeness – the symbolism of seven days shows us the need to eradicate sin completely. We realize, of course, that we cannot do that without God’s help. God, though, offers and provides us with this help – through the gift of His Holy Spirit.

Now, we look down the road to the next Holy Day, the Day of Pentecost. There is a strong connection between the Passover season and the Feast of Pentecost. During the Passover season, we renew our commitment by counting the cost of living a Godly life. At the same time, we start quite literally to count fifty days, beginning with the Sunday following the weekly Sabbath after the First Day of Unleavened Bread. On that Sunday, the wave sheaf offering was waved in ancient Israel. This is quite symbolic, as it pictures Christ’s ascension to heaven on that very day, being accepted by God the Father. Christ was resurrected from the dead on the Sabbath, just before sunset, but He ascended to heaven on Sunday morning, exactly at the same time when the priest waived the wave sheaf offering. Fifty days later, we reach the Feast of Pentecost. That is where the name “Pentecost” comes from – it means “counting fifty.”

God the Father accepted Christ as the first of the firstfruits. Since Christ is the first of the firstfruits, who are the other firstfruits? We know, of course, that Christ’s Church comprises the other firstfruits. It is interesting that the Feast of Pentecost is also called the Feast of Firstfruits – it is focusing on the collective spiritual body of Christ who were called and still will be called to salvation prior to Christ’s return.

There is another strong connection between the Passover and the Pentecost seasons – having to do with the process of conversion. Conversion starts with God’s calling and enlightening of our minds, followed by repentance and faith in God and His Son Jesus Christ, baptism and the laying on of hands. After that, God bestows on us the gift of His Spirit. Applying this to the symbolism attached to the Feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread and Pentecost, we have, during the Passover season, gone through the requirements, spiritually speaking, of repentance and baptism. In looking forward to Pentecost, we are approaching the event of receiving of the Holy Spirit. The Festival of Pentecost does, of course, remind us of the time when God bestowed His Holy Spirit on the collective body of the Church. God gave the Holy Spirit so that the disciples could keep the law more perfectly.

Historically, God spoke to Moses and ancient Israel the Law of the Ten Commandments on the day of Pentecost. At that time, there was a tremendous display of God’s awesome power and magnitude, so much so that the Israelites told Moses, “You talk to God.” They were afraid of talking to God themselves (Exodus 20:18-19).

The New Testament Church began in 31 AD on the Day of Pentecost. We can read the account in Acts 2. When God gave the Holy Spirit, He saw to it that there would also be a mighty display of signs and wonders – as had been the case when the law was declared to ancient Israel. In 31 AD, there were also unusual events – the sound of a mighty wind, flames of fire resting on the disciples, the ability of the many foreigners assembled in Jerusalem to hear the disciples speak in their own language, and of course Peter’s inspired moving sermon causing 3000 people to repent, believe in Christ’s sacrifice, and get baptized on that very same day (Acts 2:41).

God saw to it that great signs and a powerful witness of the power of the Holy Spirit accompanied the giving of His Holy Spirit. He made it clear for all times that man NEEDS this power in order to be able to overcome, to remain in the grace of God, and to finally conquer sin. In addition, all who have received God’s Holy Spirit have become the begotten children of God, beginning to fulfill what God always wanted to happen. God’s desire is revealed in Rev. 21:3 – God wants to be our God, and that we should become His children.

As we look forward to the Feast of Pentecost, let us be mindful of the fact that we must allow Christ to work in and through us by the power of His Holy Spirit.