The world is waiting desperately for drastic change. Especially Europe is hoping for the coming of a mighty unifying leader who would bring security and prosperity. Perhaps true peace, even if this means, through might and power of “deterrence.” But no one seems to be on the horizon who would possess the qualifications necessary to bring about such a desired result.

However, it is felt that such a person would be needed—a true leader who could stand up to murderous dictators and despots such as unhinged Xi Jinping of China or Kim Jong Un of North Korea, or “crazy” and unscrupulous Vladimir Putin or increasingly mentally unstable Donald Trump. Someone who would end useless and “forever” wars like Trump’s unprovoked Iran War, Netanyahu’s catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip, or Putin’s aggressive Russia-Ukraine war.  Someone who would be strong and courageous enough to save the world from its otherwise inevitable final economic collapse.

We know that such a leader will come who will promise all these things. We believe he is already working behind the scenes to prepare for his arrival. But once he is in power, his rule will end in desolation and destruction for the entire world.

The hoped-for European leader is not the solution. He won’t give us true peace for our time. He will be another Alexander, another Caesar, another Charlemagne, another Napoleon, another Hitler and Mussolini… only, his rule will be far far worse. In the end, all of these great conquerors failed in despair and shame… and that will also be true for him.

Solutions to our problems don’t lie in human leaders who are alienated from God. They don’t lie in political elections, in political alliances, in lying phrases of nationalism… and for sure, they do not lie in the military and its “accomplishments.” We are warned that we will fall when we think we are strong and “great.” 

No, the only lasting solution for all of us lies in the return of Jesus Christ. Enduring success can only come with and under God’s government. And so, Jesus Christ will come to rule mankind with justice and equity, and lasting true peace for our time will be the result.

One of my favorite terms in the Bible is the admonition for us to “hold fast.” When I was younger, I read a lot about sailing — large sailing ships have always fascinated me. There is something majestic about traveling across the water in a boat with large rigging and all the parts of a ship. But being on the ocean is not without peril; there are times when storms come, and sailors have to withstand them.

From a nautical standpoint, “hold fast” is an old maritime command meaning to grip a fixed point, a rail, a line, anything they could securely hold on to. This was especially shouted to the crew in heavy weather so no one would get swept overboard; it’s essentially “hang on!” It was also used to mean securing a line itself (to belay it so it doesn’t run out), and “holdfast” is the general term for any fitting, clamp, or cleat that pins something in place against the ship’s motion so it can’t shift. (The word shows up outside sailing too; carpenters use a “holdfast” clamp, and biologists use it for the root-like structure kelp uses to grip a rock.)

This term “hold fast” appears a number of times throughout the Old and New Testaments. So it is not just a nautical term. In the Bible, the way it is used is powerful, because it describes the need for each of us to cling to God with everything that is within us.

In Hebrew, several words get translated as “hold fast,” each with a slightly different meaning. One word can mean to seize and grip firmly (Job 2:3; Isaiah 56:4,6), which is bound up with the idea of strength itself. Another word can convey the thought of grasping or seizing physically (Song of Solomon 3:4), and a third word can mean to cling, cleave, or stick to (Deuteronomy 10:20), describing the kind of closeness a husband and wife have, staying devoted and stuck to each other out of love and commitment, no matter what. 

In Greek, several verbs get translated as “hold fast,” each with a slightly different meaning as well. One word can mean to grasp with force, to seize and not let go (Hebrews 4:14). Another word can mean to hold down firmly or to retain or possess securely (Hebrews 10:23; 1 Thessalonians 5:21; and 1 Corinthians 15:2). Finally, a third word can mean to hold oneself against something, and to cling to it (Titus 1:9).

As we can see, across both the Old and the New Testaments, “hold fast” describes a deliberate, muscular grip on what’s internal rather than external — faith, hope, integrity, God’s Laws — held under pressure, against a force that would otherwise tear these things away. It’s not casual possession; it’s resistance under strain.

Scripture actually gives us pictures of exactly what kind of strain is meant. Hebrews 6:19 describes hope as “an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil”; something that holds firm precisely because a current is pulling against it. And Ephesians 4:14 warns of not being “tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting”—children of God blown off course by every gust. Both these Scriptures place us right in the middle of a storm-tossed deck: the wind and waves trying to sweep us overboard, and faith and hope being the grip that keeps us from going over.

The storms in our lives are going to happen whether we are ready to “Hold Fast” or not. The question is, where is our strength to ride out the storms? 

Luke 8:22-25 and Matthew 14:22-33 describe actual storms in which the early disciples found themselves being forced for a reason. Christ used these moments to help teach the disciples that the storms were there to make them lean on Christ and realize how they could get through any situation. We are also Christ’s disciples and He uses the same approach with us today to help us learn to lean fully on Him in all situations so that when the storms that come get bigger, we can “Hold Fast” and find the God-given strength to endure until the end and make our calling and election sure. 

Would you sign a contract knowing that, in the end, you would lose everything? Probably not. No reasonable person would sacrifice their freedom, happiness, and future for a short-term advantage. Right?

What if such a contract wasn’t even recognizable as a contract, but instead came about through compromises, wrong decisions, and small concessions in everyday life?

Most people don’t believe in a literal “pact with the devil”. For many, that belongs in the world of legends, movies, and novels. The Bible, however, reveals that behind the scenes of this world, a spirit being is at work who wants to lead humanity away from God.

If you’d like to learn more about this, please order a free copy of our booklet, entitled “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World”.

The devil does not need to get people to worship him directly. It is enough for him if they forget God. He knows human nature—our fears, desires, and weaknesses. The Bible calls him the one “who deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9). His influence is widespread; the world doesn’t even realize it is being influenced.

A successful deceiver does not reveal his identity. In the same way, Satan works in secret. His goal is to promote thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors that distance people from God.

“Has God indeed said…?” The temptation began with this question. Eve was to believe that God’s commandment restricted her and that disobedience would bring an advantage. The promised gain was emphasized, while the consequences were kept secret. To this day, Satan uses the same strategy. He presents sin as something pleasant and God’s commandments as unnecessary restrictions; the crucial Truth remains hidden.

But every wrong decision has consequences.

Every contract contains terms and conditions; every pact has its price. Satan, too, makes offers. He promises freedom but delivers bondage. He promises joy but leaves behind emptiness and suffering. He promises profit but conceals the cost.

Jesus Christ said that Satan is “a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44). A lie is a statement in which the Truth—or at least part of the Truth—is distorted.

A fish sees the bait but does not recognize the hook. That is how temptation works. The immediate benefit appears visible and attractive, while the long-term consequences remain hidden.

Despite tremendous advances in science, technology, and education, humanity’s fundamental problems persist. Wars, violence, hatred, deceit, and injustice continue to shape the world. Why? John wrote: “…the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19). Paul even refers to Satan as the “god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4). The world follows him without even knowing it.

Pride instead of humility; selfishness instead of love; self-will instead of obedience—we encounter these attitudes daily, and they often seem normal and natural. That is precisely where their danger lies.

The most dangerous pact with the devil is not made consciously. Almost no one signs a document titled “Contract with Satan”. Rather, this pact is sealed when people constantly adopt the same fundamental attitude: “I decide for myself what is right and wrong.”

When God is excluded from life, people take on the role of their own lawgiver and thus, without realizing it, follow the same path that already separated Adam and Eve from God.

The good news is: No one has to continue down this path. Jesus Christ came to overcome sin in the flesh and to reconcile humanity with God. During His life on earth, He resisted every temptation from Satan and demonstrated that obedience to God is possible.

James writes: “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). The Bible does not call on us to negotiate with temptation, but to trust in God and resist evil. Those who are close to God receive the strength to withstand deception and seduction.

Satan’s greatest success is to make us believe that no danger exists. Yet the Bible reveals an adversary who knows humanity intimately and does everything in his power to separate us from God. That is why everyone faces a decision: Will they follow the alluring offers of this world, or will they trust God and His ways?

The pact with the devil is not a medieval fairy tale. It begins wherever people exchange God’s Truth for their own ideas. But God offers a different covenant—one that does not lead to death, but to life, and indeed to eternal life.

The question, then, is: Which contract will you sign?

(Initial Translation: Daniel Blasinger)

In our Q&A on 8^th July 2022, entitled “What is the Definition of a Woman?,” we discussed this matter after a female nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court couldn’t define what a woman is during her confirmation hearings.   In short, we showed that it was as simple as an adult female.  Even the UK Prime Minister had a problem with the simple definition, no doubt brought about by political correctness rather than ignorance.

Another example is that of marriage. God says quite simply: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”   They were told to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 2:24). Therefore, a family is a man and a woman and their children. End of story you would think, but not in a more “enlightened” society. 

I was reminded of all of this nonsense recently when I read a report about two female lesbian English cricketers. They both had represented their country at the international level with great success, had “married” a few years ago and had a son in 2025.  The one who had recently retired from cricket had the baby and her “wife” was still a full-time professional cricketer. As she was the wife, the one who had the baby was the “husband.“  However, a husband is always a man in God’s eyes and we know that a man cannot give birth in a normal union of husband and wife. Also, there have to be three people in such a “marriage” of two lesbians as a sperm donor is always required. The simple definition of husband and wife in a marriage goes out the window when perverted lifestyles are adopted.

For those of us who believe in God should not have the problems that non-believers have in terms of definitions.   

But for non-believers, they have to make up their own definitions because they refuse to allow God and His Way into their lives.   

We have quoted this before, but it is worth mentioning again. In November 2009, Desert News in Salt Lake City, USA, stated that “America’s struggles to define marriage are all over the map.   It’s more than just differences from California to Connecticut and from Idaho to Iowa — it’s also how those definitions continue to be refined across the country.  Marriage definitions have been crafted or confirmed in courts, legislatures and voting booths. And in some cases, those definitions have been reversed in a matter of months.  With the exception of the Defense of Marriage Act passed a dozen years ago by the United States Congress, the definition of marriage — either the traditional union of a man and a woman or the more recent allowance of uniting same-sex couples — is an issue left for each state to answer for itself.”   

Of course, since this was written, matters have progressed at an alarming rate in the wrong direction.

Since that time, there have been many other people who have tried to define marriage simply because they won’t accept the biblical definition, thinking that they know better. But they don’t! 

And so, man will make up the definitions himself, and unless they are in conformity with the Word of God, they will always be wrong.

In short, God simplifies, but man complicates and is so often wrong when he does.  God is never wrong.

Having come up with their own definitions, what are the fruits of these definitions when implemented in reality? We only have to look at society today to see what a mess it all is. If only man would accept that God knows best and accept His definitions, much heartache, anguish and trouble would be saved. In short, it reminds me of the song “I Did It My Way”. But we should do it God’s Way, and the results would be much better and longer-lasting. However, man who has no intention of going God’s Way at this time, will do so in the Millennium when the “knowledge of the LORD” shall be as “the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9; compare Habakkuk 2:14). Then they will all realize that God had, quite simply, the best definitions because they all worked!

Since my conversion, I have become more aware of the resentment that so many people seem to harbor towards God and true Christianity. There are yard signs here in our neighborhood that are meant to show the homeowner’s absolute belief in science, choice, and diversity of everything—all things except a belief in God. As I walk in my neighborhood and see these signs, I find myself getting upset, but I know that I’ve got to rely only on God to deal with such matters; it is not my place to confront my neighbors. Still, it is frustrating because people don’t seem to learn. From Covid lockdown lies to riots that some still characterize as peaceful demonstrations; people become comfortable with their positions, speaking points and deception. It also seems that people are more interested in celebrating what humans can accomplish, rather than repenting and turning to God. 

To this point, on September 5, 1977, from a launch pad at Cape Canaveral in Florida, a spacecraft named Voyager 1, lifted off on the start of a mission to deep space. I had just turned 20 at the time of launch, and was in the middle of college and fascinated by the space race that was initiated by the Soviet Union and President Kennedy’s challenge to take the US to the moon. Weighing just 1800 pounds, far less than most cars, and having only 470 watts of on-board power, this spacecraft has been on the job each day for nearly 50 years.

A 1960s proposal for a space tour to study the outer planets led NASA to begin work on a mission during the early 1970s. Initially, Voyager 1 was planned as Mariner 11 of the Mariner program. Due to budget cuts, the mission was reduced to a flyby of Jupiter and Saturn and renamed the Mariner Jupiter-Saturn probes. The name was changed to Voyager when the probe designs began to differ substantially from the Mariner mission. Currently, it is roughly 16 billion miles away from Earth, and while its mission was initially intended to last only about five years, it will continue to send data for at least a few more years.

In 2012, Voyager 1 entered Interstellar Space—the distant zones of cold and deep space between the stars. On March 31, 2006, amateur radio operators in Germany tracked and received radio waves from Voyager 1 using the 20-meter (66 ft) dish at Bochum with a long integration technique. Retrieved data was checked and verified against data from the Deep Space Network station at Madrid, Spain. This seems to be the first such amateur tracking of Voyager.

It is interesting how much interest there is in wanting to reach out to deep space and somehow connect with the unknown. To this end, Voyager 1 included a gold-plated record that held music and speeches from notable people of the day. The record was curated by the astronomer, Carl Sagan. Mr. Sagan was famous for his belief only in science, rather than God—The Creator of the universe. 

The point of the golden record sent on Voyager was intended to be a message from Earth’s scientific and political establishment into deep space. The point being that mankind exists and is in control here on Earth. Humankind desires power and to control. This is of course rather than making a connection with the Creator of the universe. Consider the contrast with this worldview in David’s writings in Psalm 19:1-2: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge” (New International Version throughout). 

Voyager 1 has been collecting interesting data that has helped science better understand our own planet. It has also recorded similar information from the planets and deep space. However, remember, when we receive this information back on Earth, it is already in the past. As true Christians, we are focused on the promise of the coming Kingdom of God and His Son, Jesus Christ. We know that ultimately science and technology, no matter how impressive, pales in the face of God and His majesty. Consider just how this will unfold, as we see in 1 Thessalonians 4:16: “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” Those who have been called by God need not rely on Voyager 1 “to touch the face of God,” as Ronald Reagan spoke, following the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster. In Psalm 29:3-4, we read that “The Voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic.” This is reinforced for us in Job 37:5: “God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.”

If we, as true Christians wish to develop deeper wisdom, we simply need to ask God. We see this in James 1:5-6: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”

It is not my intention to demean the work of NASA and many independent scientists and academics. Clearly, they did impressive work in keeping Voyager 1 in orbit for nearly 50 years when its mission was designed to conclude decades ago. This has been inspired work indeed; however, it is not the voice of God that will be heard in any of the data.

We need only turn to God to unlock the majesty of the universe that God created—we need only to believe and trust in God and as we read in Psalm 46:10 where He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Without God’s involvement in the raw facts and events of reality, they carry no positive or negative value in themselves. They are simply events. Natural disasters like a tornado or wildfire happen on their own accord, doing what they do. Far less destructive events like a cool summer breeze or a rainbow after a rainstorm take place without any predetermined intention in themselves. Events with a human origin are also, on the face of it, mere moments in time. Weddings, funerals, a day at the beach, a scraped knee all occur as they do, as facts. Whatever happens factually becomes captured as a record in the annals of history as events.

Yet each of these events that take place as objective facts, without any inherent value, have the power to affect us emotionally. A situation may produce sadness, joy, anger, compassion, or myriad other emotions according to how we process it. Interestingly, the same event can produce opposite emotional responses even within the same person, depending on a shift in perspective. Our emotional responses can vary widely in both range and intensity.

Our emotions also affect us greatly, ultimately having the power to direct our chosen responses. In Thilo Hanstein’s powerful and insightful editorial, “Feelings That Can Deceive Us!,” published on February 27, 2026, he wrote about how we are to anchor ourselves by trusting in God so our feelings and emotions don’t lead us astray. He writes, “God’s Word does not say that we should suppress our feelings, but that we should not make them our ultimate standard. God is described as unchanging, while the human heart can falter. That is why trusting in God is not a feeling, but a decision.” He acknowledges that feelings are real and meaningful to us. But he continues to emphasize the importance of using those feelings to bring us closer to God, so that He can help us manage them. We need God to guide us in all things, and our feelings and emotions help Him to understand our situation.

The passage in Jeremiah 17:9 is one which, humanly speaking, is very troubling. Jeremiah writes, “‘The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?’” If we cannot trust our own hearts, even when we feel that our intentions are good, it can leave us untethered. If even our inner-most hearts cannot be trusted, what are we to do? The answer is that we go to God. The Holy Spirit is pure and with it, God will help us to understand our situation from a godly perspective. It is with that godly perspective that we are to guide our emotional response. As Mr. Hanstein astutely emphasized in his editorial, we must trust in God to help us process our feelings and emotions. This is the only way to avoid being led astray by the deceits of our human heart.

So then, if emotions are a synthetic response to factual events and if those emotions produced by our heart can lead us astray, is it wrong for us to have emotions? Should we deny the way we feel? Do our emotions have no value in the eyes of God? To answer any of these questions affirmatively is not what the Bible instructs. In fact, we see many counter examples demonstrating how emotions serve an important and powerful purpose in our lives and the lives of God the Father and Jesus Christ.

Shortly after the creation of man, God felt sorrow and grief after seeing the severe wickedness that had developed in mankind and moved Him to initiate the flood (compare Genesis 6:5-6). Even though there was such evil, God the Father also felt such strong love for humanity that He was willing to give His Son Jesus as a Sacrifice to cover their sins (compare John 3:16). Jesus Christ, being fully man when He was on the earth, felt strong emotion as well, which motivated His ministry. “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest’” (Matthew 9:36-38). Emotion is not an ungodly trait. Far from it. Emotion is a powerful force that we see through God’s example. In these examples, we can see how action became motivated through emotion.

Emotion is a motivating force. Without emotion, the events of our lives are neutral facts of history that fail to move us in any meaningful way. As Christians, we must be moved in the right direction by our emotions. What we do in the eyes of God matters. Therefore, our motivation needs to be aligned with God. The call to action is to bring emotions to Him so we choose the right direction.

Emotion, guided by God, will motivate us to understand how we should respond. Our hearts will be bound to lead us astray if we don’t include Him. However, when we invite God into our lives to help us understand the events that affect us, He has the power to fortify our emotions with righteous intent. This is what gives us strength to tackle the difficult events we face and to rejoice in the situations we are meant to appreciate.

God has a strong desire to work with us. He expects that we will have a heart with a capacity to feel joy, anguish, love, and more. He knows that we need that in our lives to be a motivating force. And He knows we need His strength.

When we have need, God invites us to pour out our innermost heartfelt emotions to Him. And we always have need. “…Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift your hands toward Him…” (Lamentations 2:19). What we go through will certainly trigger emotional responses. When we lay down those emotions before God, He will help us to understand our circumstances from His perspective, motivating us to respond righteously.

When the ancient people of Israel were freed from captivity in Egypt and called to depart from their sins to serve God, it was no easy path for them to enter the new life God had planned for them.

Time and again, Israel forgot that God had delivered them from Egyptian slavery with a mighty hand, and the Bible shows us this pattern many times, especially during the journey through the wilderness and also later throughout the entire Old Testament period, extending into the New Testament, and even beyond into the present day.

God’s miracles were repeatedly forgotten, in no small part because Israel had continuously expressed its discontent and dissatisfaction. God had provided them with everything they needed for the entire forty years; He even gave them silver and gold jewelry, clothes, and precious garments, useful household items, livestock, and much more for their exodus from Egypt.

Nevertheless, they had decided – and even encouraged one another – to grumble against God, to rebel, and to openly display their ingratitude.

They had simply allowed God’s great deeds to fade from memory, even though He had reminded them with these words: “…because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it” (Numbers 14:22-23).

One might say, “A murmuring heart found no peace even at a bountiful table.” That is sad, but true!

David put it very aptly in Psalm 106:7: “Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; They did not remember the multitude of Your mercies, But rebelled by the sea—the Red Sea.”

But even today, if one understands who and where Israel and Judah are now, one can see that they have forgotten God’s great deeds—everything He once did for their ancestors and everything He has done for them to this day. God’s mercy is so immeasurably great, yet people seem to have a tendency to forget—time and again, and especially very quickly.

Why does this even happen? Why don’t people remember God’s good deeds? Why are His blessings and His guidance so quickly forgotten? How quickly do we forget today?

Even though Paul had repeatedly written it down in the letter to the Hebrews as a reminder, precisely so that people would not forget: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…” (Hebrews 12:1). 

One might add here: “…and let’s not forget!”

But on the one hand, the human heart often tends toward selfishness or egotism, and on the other hand, prosperity and wealth can replace good memories of God’s deeds. Furthermore, false pride can also attribute success to oneself, as God already warns us in Deuteronomy 8:11,17: “Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today… then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’”

This is also why Christ said in Matthew 19:23: “…Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of [God].”

We are God’s chosen people today – all of us throughout the world who have been baptized in the proper manner and who are part of the Body of Christ.

God the Father, as well as Jesus Christ, have called us out of this sinful world, just as He did with Israel in those days. We read this call – “Come out of her, my people” – in Revelation 18:4, and it is one of God’s most urgent calls to His people – to us today in these end times. We are all spiritual Israelites and must never allow the works of God to fade from our minds and hearts.

It is Satan who tries to steal the memory of God’s Word from our hearts. Christ explains this unequivocally in the Parable of the Sower:

“…When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts” (Mark 4:15; compare Matthew 13:19).

This statement applies not only to hearing the Word of God, but also to its enduring effect in our lives. Satan does everything in his power to ensure that God’s Word and His Truth fall into oblivion, lose their power, and bear no fruit in us.

That is why it is not enough to hear or read the Word of God just once a week. We must continually keep it within us, reflect on it again and again, and bring it to life in our daily routines. Thus, it will remain in our hearts, shape our thoughts and actions, and produce the fruit that God expects of us.

This means that our memory needs constant care and conscious recall. It is no coincidence that the Bible contains so many exhortations such as “Remember…,” “Do not forget…,” “Tell your children about it…,” or “Write down these words…” There is a deep spiritual principle behind this as well.

God knows how easily people forget – even His greatest blessings, miracles, and acts of help. That is why He repeatedly calls on us, His people, to consciously remember His deeds, His commandments, and His promises, and not to forget them.

According to the Bible, remembering is not a passive process, but a conscious spiritual exercise and discipline. Those who regularly recall God’s works through Bible study, prayer, meditation, and fasting strengthen their faith, maintain gratitude, and remain steadfast in their trust in God.

But when we stop consciously remembering God’s deeds, we often fall into ingratitude, doubt, disobedience, and rebellion. That is why God repeatedly calls on His people to consciously keep His miracles, His commandments, and His help in mind.

David gives us a beautiful guide for anchoring this in our memory. We read in Psalm 103:2-5:

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,  Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

Initial translation from the German: Daniel Blasinger

By Paul Niehoff (Australia)

It can be instructive for us to examine the events regarding the establishment of the Tabernacle in the wilderness and the building of the First and Second Temples. To see the people’s attitudes and understand the response from God in each case. In the case of the building of the Tabernacle and the First Temple, these are defined in the Scriptures as the Work of God. And we will see when we examine the situation around the building of the Second Temple, that this was also commanded by God and so would be considered the Work of God.

When the Tabernacle was being constructed, we read that, “…everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and they brought the LORD’s offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments” (compare Exodus 35:21). In fact, we read later that they brought more than enough and had to be restrained from bringing any more offerings.

How did God respond to this? In the New Testament, we read that God loves a cheerful giver (see 2 Corinthians 9:7), and these people were obviously cheerful givers. And not just in objects, but those who had the talent, in weaving fine yarn and fabrics.

Next, with the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem, the various leaders and people also brought the offerings needed to build and furnish the Temple. And again we read: “Then the people rejoiced, for they had offered willingly, because with a loyal heart they had offered willingly to the LORD; and King David also rejoiced greatly” (compare 1 Chronicles 29:9). Again, God loves a cheerful giver.

However, the Jews who returned from Babylon did not have the same attitude. At least not early on. King Cyrus had provided a permit to build the Second Temple, as we read in 2 Chronicles 36:23, “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up!” Since this was according to God’s command, it is considered His Work.

In the first chapter of the book of Ezra, King Cyrus encouraged those who chose not to go to Jerusalem to provide gold and silver, goods and livestock for the construction of the Temple. King Cyrus himself provided the implements that King Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Solomon’s Temple, to be used in the new Temple as a part of its service.

The Jews who had left the comforts of Babylon came to Jerusalem, a city that had been destroyed, with the object of building the Second Temple of God. But they were soon distracted from the project, as we read in Haggai 1:2, remarking on what Haggai, the LORD’s prophet and messenger, said to the leaders, “Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time that the LORD’s house should be built.”’”

They were more concerned about building their own homes and paneling them with fine timbers before doing the Work of God. God made the powerful statement twice for emphasis in verses 5 and 7: “Consider your ways!” Then He reminded them that they were not being blessed. They did not have enough to eat or drink or clothe themselves adequately. Also, their income seemed to disappear from a bag with holes. This reminds us of Christ’s words in Matthew 6:31, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat? or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’” Because God was aware of their needs and would provide them. These three things the people lacked in Jerusalem.

So, under the strong leadership of Haggai, Zerubbabel and Joshua, the people repented and began building the Temple. And from the day they laid the foundation, God began to bless them and told them twice again to consider how God was blessing them (compare Haggai 2:18-19). When they were not doing God’s Work, they were told to consider why God was actually against them, but when they began doing God’s Work, they were to consider that God was blessing them from then on.

This is all interesting reading, but does it have anything to concern us today? Romans 15:4 informs us, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” 1 Corinthians 10:11 also reinforces this, “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”

While these examples might not have been expressly about the building of the Temples, the principle still applies to us. We can learn from the interaction between God and His people in their good times and their bad times. 

The actual meaning of “consider” is to think about something carefully and deliberately, often before making a decision, judgement or taking action. It is used over a hundred times in the Bible. We should consider that we have been called to do God’s Work and when we do it, we thereby receive God’s blessing. In the three examples mentioned previously of building the Tabernacle and the two Temples, we see that the people were blessed when they did God’s Work willingly, but when they refused, they were cursed until they repented. 

In our case, we are called to do God’s Work although it is not to build a physical building but a spiritual temple, and to assist in preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. We do this by means of our prayers and tithes and offerings. We remember that in the book of Malachi, God condemned the people for robbing Him in tithes and offerings, but also for some other problems they had.

Our task is not only assisting in the preaching of the Gospel. We also have the responsibility to be examples by means of the way we live. We are informed in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

So, we must also consider our ways, not only in assisting in the preaching of the Gospel, but in the way we represent the Family of God by our actions. Do we do it joyfully and willingly, thereby pleasing God? Actually, the term “consider your ways” does not occur as such in the New Testament, but a similar term is used, especially being brought to our attention before Passover. That term is, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith” (see 2 Corinthians 13:5). Are we living a Way of Life that is pleasing to God, or not? If not, then we should repent as the people did in the days of Haggai, and do God’s Work as we have been called to perform it.

The closer you are to God, the more immediately He can respond to any issue or trials you may be going through. Peter’s example of walking on water is evidence of this. We read in Matthew 14:28-31: “And Peter answered Him and said, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ So He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.  But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’  And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’”

Even though Peter began to sink, he was already so close to Christ that He reached out and saved him from drowning. 

It is important for us to remain close to God in order to get such a response when facing trials or imminent danger. Prayer is one tool given to us by God to achieve such a state. We read about Christ getting up early and going to a quiet place to pray. “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed” (Mark 1:35).

He did this to remain close to his Father, the Most High God. We have other examples of God’s servants who prayed regularly to maintain close contact with God. Daniel 6:10 tells us: “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed [prohibiting to pray to God], he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.”

Notice, this was his daily habit since early days. 

With all the distractions in this day and age, we must not neglect to follow the examples left to us in the Bible for our own good. 1 Thessalonians  5:17 encourages us to “pray without ceasing.” This is an admonishment to persist in prayer even when it is not answered immediately by God. 

Certain frustration may set in when prayers are not answered in what we may feel is an adequate time. In some cases, they may not be answered in the way we want them to, as shown in Paul’s request to be healed by what appears to be some eye issue.  What did Christ say to him? “Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:8-9). 

So, the reality is we may not get the answer we expect now; and when it comes to healing, some of us may have to wait until the resurrection for God to fulfill His promise of healing. That doesn’t mean we should ask God for healing once and not ask again. Rather, we should be persistent as shown in the parable below.

Luke 18:1-6 reads:  “Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: ‘There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, “Get justice for me from my adversary.” And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, “Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.” Then the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unjust judge said.’””

Furthermore, when praying about someone, we should continue until God heals them or until He makes it clear that He will not do so in this life, as He did in the case of the Apostle Paul. 

Prayer is a powerful tool we have in order to maintain a close relationship with God; so let us ensure we are not letting down in this important area of our lives.

Christ is telling us time and again that we must overcome in order to enter the Kingdom of God. We have long understood that this means to be victorious in our fight against Satan, the world and ourselves—our own carnal human nature. 

In his last Editorial, titled “The Wisdom of Self-Control,” Michael Link emphasized especially proper and improper reactions towards accusations and persecutions from others—how self-control can help us not to answer provocations from others with anger or a desire to get even.

In this Editorial, I would like to discuss another aspect of self-control—that of self-discipline in regard to our own ungodly lusts. How careful and committed are we not to fall into the trap of allowing the “old man” to enter and take over our lives again and to tempt us to do things which we know we ought not do? In other words, how careful are we not to give in to our human desires? 

Overcoming our own human nature means not engaging in conduct that we must avoid.  We can do that—with God’s help—when we exercise self-discipline—but it is never easy. 

For instance, Christ told us not to look at the wife of another man with evil thoughts or to lust for her (Matthew 5:28). David should have looked away when he noticed his inappropriate desires for Bathsheba, who bathed in the nude on the rooftop, but he continued to let lust for her take over until sinful actions were the consequence. As James would write later: “…each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:14-15).

Paul cautioned us in Romans 13:14: “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”

That is what David should have done, but he failed to exercise proper self-discipline. He knew what to do; he knew that he had to “flee sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18), but he was too weak to overcome his carnal desires. His lust for Bathsheba led to the sin of adultery which was followed by the sin of murdering her husband Uriah, and David’s punishment was severe. Even though he repented bitterly, he still had to pay dearly for his transgressions.

There is a battle going on in our minds. Our human carnal heart fights against God’s Spirit in us which “yearns earnestly” (James 4:5) for us to do the right things—to overcome and conquer our fleshly desires. Paul cautioned us not to “grieve the Holy Spirit of God” (Ephesians 4:30). But Paul also recognized that far too often, this spiritual fight is lost. He wrote in Galatians 5:17: “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”

Paul recognized many years after his conversion that he was still giving in to his human nature, committing sinful acts even though he did not want to do so. He admitted that he was still “carnal, sold under sin” (Romans 7:14). As a consequence, he did what he hated to do, not even understanding WHY he did it (verse 15). At the same time, he found himself unable to perform what was good (verses 18-19). 

He was in despair, distraught, deeply sorry and dissatisfied with himself when he realized that he had just committed another sin—having followed the evil desires of his heart, lacking self-discipline—and he cried out, in desperation: “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (verse 24). But in reality, he KNEW the answer. He knew it all along. The only help could and can come from Jesus Christ. And so he exclaimed, “I thank God–through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin” (verse 25). 

Paul knew what to do. He knew what was right. He wanted to do it. But he also knew that only with Christ’s help could he become more and more successful in overcoming his lusts and evil desires. He knew that he had to do his part. He continued to fight against his human nature, wanting to overcome it, to conquer it, to replace it with God’s divine nature. But he also knew that all his efforts would be useless if Christ was not on his side to help him. 

He wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:25, 27: “And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things… But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

That was the danger. He could not tell others to practice self-discipline, while not practicing it himself. He told his beloved disciple and evangelist Timothy what he, Paul, himself had to practice. In 2 Timothy 2:22, he wrote: “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”

Evil desires and lusts begin in the human heart. Paul asked Timothy to conquer and overcome those lusts, as Paul himself was engaged in the same battle. After all, “youthful” lusts are not only committed by young people.

Paul knew that he could never allow his evil desires to become so dominant in his life that he would become like those who ultimately, “being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness” (Ephesians 4:19). Rather, he knew that self-discipline required that he would be “renewed in the spirit of [his] mind” (verse 23). 

As Michael Link emphasized in his previous Editorial that we must have self-control when reacting to the improper conduct of others, this Editorial emphasizes that we must have self-discipline when reacting to the improper desires of our own heart. With Christ in us, we CAN overcome, and when we sin, come to our senses, REPENT of what we did, and confess our sins to God the Father, “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). He will do so, because it is “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son [which] cleanses us from all sin” (verse 7). 

This is how we walk and live with God. This is how we overcome. This is how we “are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). This is how we exercise and maintain the power of self-discipline.