When we listen to the news, we are bombarded with a never-ending amount of “facts”—all aimed at telling a story from a certain perspective. And the select details that are brought to light are often based on the opinions of the speaker.  The truth of a situation in today’s political and social environment is designed to push people into a specific mindset.  The tendency of man is to build a narrative based more on ego and vanity than on verity.

This propensity for bias comes naturally when we allow ourselves to be guided by the anger of Satan, because acrimony is the source of Satan’s continual lashing out against God’s people.  We know this “because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). It was pride and arrogance that caused Satan’s desire to “ascend above the heights of the clouds” and “be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:14).

The veracity of God’s Word is known by His people who have the Holy Spirit. However, mankind is easily tempted, and swayed by deception in the world. Paul tried to get this point across to the early church, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).  What leads man away from these truths and into the darkness of deception?  Paul continues, “…because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 20:21).

Mankind is easily ensnared as prey by the great devourer. Satan is relentless in this pursuit. He is the “accuser of our brethren, who accuses them before our God day and night” (Revelation 12:10).  All of our weaknesses and sins are brought before God on a continual basis.  Satan’s desire is to create a narrative that will lead to our condemnation and destruction.  But God knows the facts. He understands us. He forgives us when we repent. This is the way how to overcome Satan and his accusations (verse 11).

We must be careful to stay true to the path that leads to salvation. The deceit and hypocrisy so rampant in the world today is designed by Satan to cause many to fall. But we know that God’s Plan is unstoppable. The same eternal Being who cast Satan out of heaven looks to each of us with a wonderfully planned future.  In God’s eyes, that future is a fact.  Let us be sure we are doing our part in making it so.

There is undoubtedly a lot of anger and hatred in the world, especially in the last several months. There has always been hatred throughout history, since the beginning of the records in the Bible, but the types of hatred we are seeing today are tough to comprehend. Could we have ever guessed that choosing or not choosing to wear a mask, for example, would lead someone to absolute hatred to the point of violence and death toward the other individual? Does that not make us angry when we hear something like that?  Do we hate to hear something like that?

When we listen to all the different restrictions enforced by the US governors in their states or measures in different counties as to what is banned and what is allowed, and when we see how absolutely inconsistent those restrictions are as if the virus has boundaries, it makes us angry, doesn’t it? And we can see that oftentimes, these restrictions have little to do with the pandemic itself, or else the whole world would be following a unified approach. This shows that the world does not know what to do. Do we also hate to hear about all these inconsistencies? Are we sick and tired of hearing over and over again about the coronavirus and the different massive governmental responses, perhaps even reading this Editorial or reading the Current Events each week?  Does it make us angry when all we seem to be reading or hearing about is this upsetting and negative news, and are we not just anxiously waiting for something good to happen?

Lately, it has seemed like that, but we must not close our eyes as to what is going on. Otherwise, we would be unprofitable servants who refuse to pay attention and to watch. We in the Church of God know that even the current pandemic and man’s reaction to it are part of prophesied events. We also know what’s just ahead of us, as the observance of God’s annual fall Feast Days approach. We can expect trials and obstacles to happen to us, seemingly designed to prevent us from keeping God’s Holy Days. The Church has clearly been affected, and for some, plans are still not absolutely definitive when it comes to where they will be able to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. We are all being tested to see where our faith lies. With God, EVERYTHING is possible, and we need to trust that HE will make His Will known to each and every one of us (compare Matthew 19:26, Proverbs 3:5-6).

There is nothing wrong to feel hatred and anger with the terrible things that are going on all around us. Even God hates them, and He lists seven specific things in Proverbs 6:16-19, describing the conduct of the arrogant, liars, killers, schemers, evildoers, false witnesses and of those who sow discord in the Church. What God hates is what we ought to hate. We shouldn’t hate somebody, but we should hate the evil that the person does. We should hate what is sinful, because God hates that also. It has been correctly said that God hates the sin, but loves the sinner. He wants the sinner to repent and cease from sinning. That should be our attitude as well. This also teaches us self-control—how we are supposed to control hatred.

We should know what hatred or anger toward a person can do. That is why self-control is very important. It is very easy to get angry and feel hatred towards other people, with everything that is going on right now and especially if someone has done evil towards us. However, God tells us to love one another; love our enemies and to do good to those who hate us; and to love God’s Law, even if we are hated for it, and if we’re not already hated by the world for it, we will be (compare Matthew 10:16-22). This shouldn’t be a surprise. We should expect this if we stand up for God’s Truth.

If we struggle at times with the wrong kind of hatred, remember that God is perfect and He can change our attitudes and our way of thinking in ways that are humanly impossible to explain. We continue to do what we need to do, and when things seem humanly impossible, remember that God is the One who makes ALL things possible. And remember also, God will not allow a temptation or trial to overtake us which would be impossible for us to bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). Knowing this, we shouldn’t have anything to worry about or to fear. This, in turn, is how we can have our “hatred” under control. If we do our part, God will guide and provide for us as He sees fit.

As I write this Editorial, I am enjoying a vacation, absent from work and spending a lot of time relaxing with my family. Taking the time off from work without having the burden to handle the day-to-day tasks and spending time on the beach feels absolutely luxurious. And in many ways, it truly is. A frequent meditation on this trip involves my gratitude for the blessings that God has provided to make it possible to spend a little bit of time abounding in joy.

Knowing the grim future that lies in store for the world and knowing that the paramount motivations for Christians are spiritual, it can be hard (for me) to make the space to enjoy physical blessings. But to reject all joy that has roots in physical existence is to deny the fact that we are human. Certainly, God provides blessings in this life for us to enjoy, but how can we reconcile the need to live according to the Spirit?

It brings to mind the state of mind that Paul mentions in Philippians 4:11-12, “…for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” Seeing that Paul knew how to abound, living at times a life of fullness and abundance, there must be a way to do so ourselves without compromising righteousness. In fact, we can see some of the keys directly in this statement, beginning with contentment.

By placing value in our spiritual relationship with God over and above whatever physical blessings there might be, it allows us to be content. Paul’s contentment originates from his trust in God believing that He will provide all that he needs, whether it makes him hungry or full. If our obedient actions are our focus rather than the targeted results according to worldly metrics, it doesn’t matter whether we are blessed with a lot or a little. With that state of mind, what matters in our lives is our relationship with God, making everything else incidental. Maintaining contentment in a broad spectrum of physical circumstances requires spiritual motivations that transcend the physical outcomes of our actions.

Even so, God promises blessings in physical ways, which are the natural results of obedience. “‘Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God…’” (Deuteronomy 28:1-2). The promises that follow the conditional proclamation on obedience in this chapter of the Bible describe abundance in mainly physical terms. To abound then, requires obedience first. But as we learn from Paul, when properly motivated, contentment is a result regardless of the physical benefit of obedience. Clearly, God provides blessings on obedience for the purpose of our enjoyment. To abound then involves enjoying the fruits of obedience as well!

If we want to know how to abound in the world we live, the prescription is simple. Our focus must be on our way of life, ensuring that we are living lives that are pleasing to God. To abound in life involves obedience first. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58). By abounding in the work of supporting the Church’s commission for this end time of preaching the gospel in all the world as a witness and of overcoming sin in our lives, thereby expressing love towards God and our fellow man, we will also have the ability to abound in enjoying the physical blessings God provides for us in our lives now.

With incredible speed and with one catastrophe after another, the United States is reeling on its heels!

From Covid-19 issues to lost jobs, massive looming evictions for millions of people, riots and destruction to food crises, it is staggering to see the leadership of this country standing around and pointing the finger at the left and right. No one is willing to take the responsibility and make hard choices. People are NOT waking up to the fact that this is just the beginning of sorrows as God has prophesied. Many people expect to come out of this time and return to normalcy.

For 6000 years man has had the opportunity and the ability to make choices. And what is there to show for those years? Do we have peace? Do we have security? Do we have an abundance of happiness and love? Do we care for each other as people?

So many times I read ideas and concepts on Social Media that are diametrically opposed to the laws of God. And they are propagated with such vehement blasphemy. People no longer can come to correct conclusions because their eyes have been blinded. In Noah’s time, the imagination and intention of ALL human thinking was only evil continually. There are nice, good people in this world, but there is still sin. And only very few are telling people that they must change. And those who speak up and blow that trumpet are criticized and railed against as haters.

This is nothing new. If you read through the Bible and notice how every time God’s people stopped doing as He commanded, He told them there would be consequences! Deuteronomy 28:15-68 spells out exactly what to expect. Read through this chapter and look at what is happening to our nation and the other Israelite nations, and it is CLEAR what is going to occur. But for most people, they cannot and will not see because they do not want to (Romans 1:28). This state of not wanting to hear the Truth is now prevalent and rampant. This happened over and over again in Israel and Judah over the years, and the Bible shows this repeatedly. They would suffer mightily for national and individual sins until they had suffered so much they had nothing left but to turn their hearts and their minds back to the Truth. So some did sometimes and temporarily.

Unfortunately, we are at a point where many are unwilling to change. Quoting three Scriptures which are prophetic for our time:

Isaiah 6:9-11: “And He said, ‘Go, and tell this people: “Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.” Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed.’ Then I said, ‘LORD, how long?’ And He answered: ‘Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, The houses are without a man, The land is utterly desolate.’”

Isaiah 30:8-11: “Now go, write it before them on a tablet, And note it on a scroll, That it may be for time to come, Forever and ever: That this is a rebellious people, Lying children, Children who will not hear the law of the LORD; Who say to the seers, ‘Do not see,’ And to the prophets, ‘Do not prophesy to us right things; Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits. Get out of the way, Turn aside from the path, Cause the Holy One of Israel To cease from before us.’”

Zechariah 7:11-14: “‘But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the LORD of hosts. Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known. Thus the land became desolate after them, so that no one passed through or returned; for they made the pleasant land desolate.’”

Just as the prophets of old gave warning as God commanded them to do, and no one wanted to listen (and actually tried to harm and did harm at times to some of those prophets), so we today in the Church of the Eternal God and our affiliates are crying out and sparing not (compare Isaiah 58:1). To “spare not” means to not hold back. The warning by the Church has been continually blown, especially louder and with more zeal as we close in on the end of the rule of Satan and his minions.

This is not a new hat to us in the Church—if we are awake! If we have been paying attention to the preaching and have been reading our Bibles diligently; if we have been continually working to overcome; if we have been sighing and crying over all the abominations that have been occurring (Ezekiel 9:4). It’s not easy to stand in the gap and in the breach (Ezekiel 22:30; Psalm 106:23). It takes courage and strength. It takes wisdom and understanding. And all these things come from God and God alone. Isaiah 11:2-3 says: “The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. His delight is in the fear of the LORD…” These attributes are Christ’s, and they are given to those who seek and follow after Him. But the warnings in Matthew 24 are clear and concise that many will be offended and deception will be rampant. So I ask, are you really awake? Are you really seeking after God? Are you willing to stand up for the Truth and to support those who preach the whole Truth boldly to the world? Are you ready for the trials and the hard times that are still coming, all the while remembering that God knows all things and that it is Jesus Christ Himself who is the Head of the Church and who is leading it? It is time to wake up and get to work.

Jesus told us that if we abide in His Word, we shall know the Truth which will make us free from all error (John 8:31-32). We should also know that “no lie is of the truth” (1 John 2:21); that God cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18); but that there is no Truth in Satan who is called the father of lies (John 8:44). Satan is the “god of this world” who has deceived “the whole world” (2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 12:9). The “whole world” lies under his sway (1 John 5:19). The time will come soon when “all the world” will follow the demonically possessed “beast” and worship him to whom Satan will give his authority and power (Revelation 13:3-4, 8).

God warns us that in these end times, Church members will fall away from the Truth. They will not believe, accept and continue to embrace the Truth, but they will have pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:12). Lawlessness will abound, and God’s love in them will grow cold (Matthew 24:12). As a consequence, God will send them “strong delusion that they should believe the lie” (2 Thessalonians 2:11). The Truth will perish (Jeremiah 7:28). It will fail and those who stand up for it will experience persecution (Isaiah 59:15) and will be abhorred (Amos 5:10).

It is God’s desire that all should come to the knowledge of the Truth (1 Timothy 2:4); and we are called upon to rightly divide the word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15). But God knows, of course, and so should we, that in this day and age, the world has been taken captive by Satan to do his will (2 Timothy 2:26). Still, when we proclaim the Truth, some may listen, and God might grant them repentance so that they may know the Truth (verse 25).

This world with all of its systems and concepts is built on Satan’s foundation of lies, deceit, error, misinformation, propaganda, falsely so-called “knowledge” (1 Timothy 6:20) and “philosophy” (Colossians 2:8). This world is still eating daily from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And so, Christ warned His disciples not to become deceived (Matthew 24:4), because “evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13).

When reading those Scriptures, we might just apply them to religious concepts, but the admonitions and warnings refer to ALL the Truth, not just certain aspects of it. They refer to the lack of Truth in religion as well as in law, politics, government, the military, education, philosophy, medicine, the health-care system, the economy, and whatever other aspect of society could be named.

Let us take “science” as an example. In this present time of the coronavirus pandemic, we hear much about science and the scientific approach, and that “science is truth” and must be followed. But is it? First of all, not all doctors and scientists are in agreement with whatever measure to fight the disease is recommended… be it the need for a lockdown and for house arrests; quarantine and self-isolation, opening of schools, closing of businesses and churches, wearing of masks, social distancing, how the virus is transmitted, who is most vulnerable, and so on. Who is telling the Truth, and who is engaging in propaganda? Are we to rely on the majority of scientists, or a minority, or anyone? Given the fact that none of the “experts” are converted Christians, but that they are all under the sway of Satan (1 Corinthians 2:6, 8), are we becoming victims of propaganda, without perhaps realizing it?

Is “science” Truth? Science teaches the ungodly evolution theory which tells us that the universe created itself (a concept which was propagated by “the greatest scientific mind of our time”); and that man evolved from a chemical soup which brought forth a cell from which all animals (and finally man) developed. Paul describes the evolution-believing philosophers and scientists of his age as those who “exchanged the truth of God for the lie” (Romans 1:25). But the whole world believes this lie, and woe unto him who opposes it. No wonder that the Bible says that the wisdom of man is foolishness with God (1 Corinthians 3:19).

The key for not falling for Satan’s lies and for not becoming a victim of Satan’s propaganda and of his scientific, political, educational, economic, legal and religious propaganda ministers, is to stay close to God and to resist all unrighteousness and lawlessness. Those who propagate and practice evil do not come to the light of the Truth (John 3:20-21). We must reject the lie and speak the Truth (Ephesians 4:25); being fellow workers for the Truth (3 John 8); and walk in the Truth (Psalm 26:3); while not being afraid when we are persecuted for telling and standing up for the Truth. When we do this, we will be able, with God’s help and guidance, to discern the propaganda of the lie and reject it without becoming its victim.

In this generation there is unrelenting pressure to conform to ways of thinking and acting which are absolutely wrong—ultimately, even deadly.

Step back and think about the sad and broken state of families. Once upon a time men and women married, stayed married and raised their children. Now, just living together makes what should be binding relationships nothing more than a temporary and disposable arrangement for the moment. This used to be called fornication, and, before God, it still is!

A direct outcome of this has led to killing of the unborn by people who just don’t want the “bother” of children. This wholesale slaughter of human life is supported by nations all over the earth through laws making abortion legal. This is still murder in the eyes of God!

Beyond the prevalence of divorce, family structure itself is under assault as marriage has been redefined. The vile behavior of perverted people now finds acceptance as being normal. However, God’s judgment is that “those who practice such things are deserving of death” (Romans 1:32).

Does anyone resist anything that is wrong? The standard has become to go along to get along. Thoughtless acceptance and even blind obedience define ever-growing elements of society. There is a reason. For, “even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting” (Romans 1:28).

It might seem that there is nothing we can do, but there is! We can resist—personally, in our family life and in our obedience to God. Very few will do this. They are called the elect by Jesus (Matthew 24:22), and because of them, life on this planet will be saved!

If we are to be numbered among the elect, then we must resist all that is evil and do only what God commands of us:

“‘Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction’” (Malachi 4:4-6 English Standard Version).

As we enter into one of the most perilous times in the history of man—the coming tribulation when Satan’s wrath is coming on the world with a vengeance—we have to be aware that our relationship with God is very crucial during the coming years.

When the love of many waxes cold to the point of betrayal by Church members, coupled with a falling away, staying close to God is of utmost importance. The one thing we must never forget is that God is faithful and He will never abandon us if we make the effort to remain close to Him.

Let us look at the encouraging words that Moses told Joshua in Deuteronomy 31:8: “And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” Also note what Paul said in Hebrews 13:5: “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU.’”

God the Father and Jesus Christ are the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). What God promised His servants in times past, He is telling us the same today. That is the case even though He has been observed to change His mind when declaring disaster on a nation. When they repented of their sins, He relented. His character remained the same, as God is full of mercy and compassion, desiring that all men should repent so they could qualify for the great reward in store for them and for us in the church.

That does not mean that we will not have trials to go through to test our mettle, as it were, but it does mean that if we remain close to God, He will see us through those trials—He will never forsake us if we do not forsake Him.

There are times when we do sin or don’t deal with bad habits in an appropriate manner. Then, there is a separation in distance between God and us.

So then the critical question is, “Who Moved”? God stands firm in the laws He has given us which bring peace and harmony to those who obey those laws and subsequently are truly close to God. This closeness allows God to respond to our fervent prayers in a timely manner according to His divine Will. If we are not getting the desired results, then we may want to look at ourselves to see whether we are falling short since God the Father and Jesus Christ have not moved nor changed anything in their character. The problem may lie with us, even though we realize that God may not answer our prayers in the way we want Him to, because He sees the overall picture and may decide that the desired result may not be good or most beneficial for us in the short or the long run.

Looking at what is coming on this world and looking past the pain and trials to the reward that lies ahead, let us never forget that God will not abandon nor forsake us, and if there is some separation and distance in our relationship with God, we have to ask, “Who Moved”? God has promised that He will stand firmly by our side and not abandon us, as long as we remain faithful, and if He moves away from us, it is because we have moved away from Him.

Many years ago, I read a book, entitled “People of the Lie,” written by a psychiatrist. It is a book describing some people as being inherently evil as a way of life. The author points out that it is not just about doing evil things or sinning, which we all do, but being evil without ever acknowledging it. They may appear to be model citizens, hard workers, active in neighbourhood activities, but in their private life or family life, they may be continually evil. The author compared them with the biblical Pharisees.

It got me thinking that in our lives, we are not to be people of the lie, but God requires us to be people of the Truth. It helps to know what Truth is, and God describes it quite clearly for us. In Psalm 119:142 we read that God’s Law is Truth. So, Truth is based on the Law of God. In addition to that, we can read in John 14:6 that Christ Himself is the Truth as well as the Way and the Life. In all aspects of His life, He lived truth and is the One to define it. In John 17:17, where Christ is praying to His Father for His disciples, He asked God: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your Word is truth.” So, the Bible itself is also a Book of Truth.

What was wrong with the Pharisees that the author of the book compared them with the people of the lie? Matthew 23 describes them very accurately. They certainly had an appearance of righteousness. They made long prayers but only for pretence (verse 14). They tithed exactly the required amount but ignored justice, mercy and faith (verse 23). Matthew 23:28 sums them up: “Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Christ combined them with the scribes and called them hypocrites seven times in this chapter.

So how should we live so as not to be comparable with the Pharisees? God gives us many instructions in both the Old Testament and the New Testament for our way of life. Jeremiah 9:3 informs us that those who do evil continually are not valiant for the Truth. They are not striving or making every effort to live by Truth. In Psalm 15:2, David reminds us who will ultimately dwell with God in His holy hill: “He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart.” It is not just a matter of speaking truth outwardly, but being totally sincere with the Truth.

David reinforced this in Psalm 51:6: “Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts…” Truth must be a part of us, not just an outward show. Zechariah 8:16 shows us how we should interact with our neighbours: “These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbour; Give judgement in your gates for truth, justice and peace…” So, we are instructed here to be truthful to our neighbours, but not just our neighbours, but everyone with whom we have dealings, in order to bring about justice and peace.

We must also interact in truth with God. Christ said in John 4:23-24: “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

There are some warnings for us that we must heed. One is in 2 Thessalonians 2:10. This informs us that some will “perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” When we love the Truth, we will want to embrace it and not let go of it. Otherwise, the warning is that if we do not love the Truth, we could be deceived and thereby might not be saved.

Another warning for us is in 1 John 1:8-10: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” Saying we have not sinned makes us just like the people of the lie and the Pharisees. Denying our sins makes us self-righteous, and if we do not admit and repent of our sins, we cannot be forgiven.

So, we must ensure that we are people of the Truth. We must embrace it, speak it and live by it. This is well pleasing to God.

In this Editorial, I want to look at what has been an ongoing media obsession – that of Covid19 – the coronavirus. It is a terrible disease that has caused much heartache around the world, and in no way am I minimising the tragic effect that this will have had on so many families in so many nations around the world, even though some, if not many, feel that the numbers have been grossly over reported, but I will be addressing the media obsession with this matter.

On the website realclearpolitics.com we read that “Despite the coronavirus spreading rapidly across China early this year, media and search interest remained nearly non-existent until around January 21st when the first case on U.S. soil was reported.”

It must be evident to everyone who looks at news programmes that there has been a relentless barrage of coronavirus news every day and this may, we are told, raise anxiety levels.

Psychology Today had an article in March 2020, entitled “Media, Fear, and the Coronavirus Outbreak.”

They state: “Fear influences how we react to media coverage of health hazards. Fear of disease and contamination is particularly relevant when it comes to epidemics like the coronavirus. A certain amount of healthy respect for disease and contamination is adaptive. But at a certain point, somewhere in the moderate to high range of fear, concern about disease and contamination generates excessive personal distress and interference in daily functioning. It’s for these people that the barrage of threatening media coverage about the coronavirus outbreak may have the most negative impact.”

In fact, it seems to me that the coverage from mid to late January 2020 up until more recently has been obsessive. Collins Dictionary defines obsessing as follows: “If something obsesses you or if you obsess about something, you keep thinking about it and find it difficult to think about anything else.” To me that sums up the general media coverage that we have been subjected to and they have been so caught up in their own world of reporting and analysing that they appeared to have lost all sense of proportionality. The news had become out of kilter.

Until recently, it seemed to be a long time since I last saw any other news of any great importance. We are now starting to see other news being reported on in the UK in spite of the obsession that has gripped the television media in particular. Back on their agenda are news items about other matters but you would have been hard pressed to find such details until more recently.

For the last several months, we have had a daily diet of non-stop information and statistics; we have seen hundreds of people being interviewed, almost always staring at us on our television screens through skype, facetime (and similar), these being scientists, medical specialists, politicians, NHS workers, care home staff and any and every other person that could give even the faintest amount of input on this crisis, admirably aiding the news outlets to fill the 24 hours a day news reports.

It is not unfair to say that once the media in general get their teeth into a story, they can be like a dog with a bone and find it very difficult to let go of. There can be sensationalism and fear can sell. It can cause fear, and bad news can always draw viewers to the television news and internet news outlets.

Television schedules were revamped in the UK to allow the daily governmental update from Downing Street to be screened with a minister, scientists and health officials taking part as were deemed appropriate, and although this was discontinued just last week, we had several months of this. The media are there to report the news but, at times, you could be forgiven for thinking that they are more intent on making the news!

As time passes on, other crises will occur as we rapidly approach the Great Tribulation, and the news-baton will pass from the coronavirus to other serious matters, no doubt, with the usual obsessive approach.

Yes, we do need to know what is going on in the world as we are told to “watch” (compare Matthew 24:36, 42-44) as we approach the end of this age, but let us never be obsessed with what the general media wants to tell us, but rather let us access news in the light of biblical prophecy.

Our weekly Update will continue to keep us all informed with the news that we need to hear about, and in a fair and objective way.

It has never been more important to push towards eternal salvation than right now. While that statement is completely true for those of us presently called, it equally applied to Christians living throughout the history of the true Church.  Our calling hinges on choices we make today.  We cannot change our past actions nor can we direct our future with absolute precision. But today, we can point ourselves in a righteous direction and be assured, through the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit, that our path will lead to success.

Our decision to change and commit ourselves must not be with any reservations.  When Lot’s wife turned back, she lost her means to escape sin because she wasn’t fit for a life leading to Godly freedom.  From His disciples, Jesus required (and requires today) complete submission to His lead.

When Jesus walked the earth, many flocked to Him with a desire to become His disciples.  But He required proof of commitment above just simple desire. “Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, ‘Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.’ Then He said to another, ‘Follow Me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.’ And another also said, ‘Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’” (Luke 9:57-62).

The apprehension and wavering in their willingness to commit most likely cost those men a place as the firstborn of God.  But they weren’t alone in a reluctance, especially when difficulties arose in understanding.  When Christ talked about the necessity of eating of His flesh and drinking of His blood, “…many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can understand it?… From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more” (John 6:60,66).

When given the opportunity to change, we must have the willingness to do it today.  We cannot put our salvation on the back-burner, hoping to get to it when we feel better equipped.  We must have the same courage and zeal to change that the core disciples of Christ demonstrated.  “And as He [Christ] walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.’ They immediately left their nets and followed Him. When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him” (Mark 1:16-20).

These men, by faith, stepped away from everything and followed Christ.  God is faithful and patient (see 2 Peter 3:9), but we must not test His patience in our own unwillingness to change. We must keep stride with Christ because His lead is all we have as a guide in this ungodly world.  Paul summed up this immediacy quite well, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25 NIV).  Let us all demonstrate our zeal today, as though our choices determine our entrance into the Kingdom of God, because they do.