Greetings,
Our lives have been carefully designed by an all-knowing, supremely intelligent, loving God, who is focused on His purpose. He designed and created the human mind and body for this purpose. We have been blessed to have that knowledge revealed to us and to rehearse it each year through the vitally important Holy Day plan. Our work now is to keep that focus as a clear objective as we negotiate the days and months ahead.
It is important that we don’t get distracted by the struggle of humanity, as mankind seeks to find the way forward. Human nature wants to be considered good – it wants a better world – as we do. So it is not that difficult to identify with the various causes that many in society put forward as the way to progress to a better world. However, though human nature wants to be thought of as good, it does not want to do good. It wants a better society but on its own terms. Without God it cannot be any other way. We must resist the emotional pull of getting caught up in the verbiage of a very confused and politicized society. We too want things to be better than they are but we have the blessing of having been called to the only way of thinking and living that will actually produce the right result.
It might be helpful to remember something Mr. Armstrong wrote to the Church in May, 1982. In referring to this unique way of life he wrote:
“These are they who, through real repentance of what they are as well as what they have done, through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as well as the resurrected life and power, are forgiven of their guilty past, given contract with God, changed, converted, receiving His Holy Spirit, being begotten as His children, receiving the divine nature … Just receiving God’s Spirit is not enough. One must be led by God’s Spirit. His Spirit opens the mind to understanding of spiritual truth, and the knowledge of God’s law. It opens the mind to the way one should follow. God’s Spirit also is the love of God – God’s own divine love – flooding into the human heart, and flowing on out in love to God and love to neighbor. One must actually therefore grow in spiritual knowledge and in God’s grace (2 Peter 3:18). He must become a doer of God’s law – actually living the way of peace and happiness and joy. This means he must overcome his own carnal nature, his old habits, the temptations of the world – he must be changed. He must develop toward perfect spiritual and righteous character. The real Christian is undergoing a life of training to become a ruler in God’s Kingdom – in the happy and peaceful world tomorrow.” (Good News, May, 1982).
Our minds and lives have been carefully designed and created by God to come into a relationship with Him. This is achieved by real, ongoing repentance. Our lives will reflect the purpose of our calling if we daily address what we are as well as being doers of the law in its deepest spiritual intent. This frame of mind will not get tangled with man’s attempt to rule himself and develop a better world apart from God. “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:1-3).
Update: Sadly, this week we learned of the death of an elder’s wife in El Paso, Texas. Jeanette Emery, wife of Richard Emery and sister of Pat Watson, died peacefully in her sleep. Although her health had been gradually declining there was no indication that she was near death. Jeanette had been able to go to the Feast and to visit with one of her sons and his family on the way home. We thank God for His kindness and mercy in allowing Jeanette to peacefully go to sleep and wait for the resurrection.
Warm Regards,
Brian Orchard
